You may have heard the phrase “Any exercise is good exercise”. While this statement is true, there are some exercises that are better for you than others. With that in mind, today I wanted to look at the differences between Hiking and Swimming.
Hiking
Hiking is a great form of exercise for various reasons. First of all, you get to be outdoors with beautiful Mother Nature. It is also great for toning your entire body and helps build endurance. Hiking is also great for your heart, lungs, blood vessels, muscle strength, bone density, and even sleeping better.
Sadly, hiking has a few downsides for those with knee, leg, ankle, or joint problems. Hiking can be hard on your body and hiking too much can make these kinds of issues much worse. Even with the right hiking shoes, you still run the risk of putting too much stress on your body and worsening your condition. So don’t overdo it if you have any injuries!
Swimming
It has been proven time and time again that swimming is the best full body workout. Swimming works every muscle in your entire body. It’s also very low-impact if you have any joint or bone problems, because the buoyancy of the water means you put less strain on your joints. Many people can’t run due to knee or ankle problems but still want to stay active and in shape.
Swimming tends to burn more calories faster than other exercises like hiking (although it does depend on how fast you swim). That is another reason many people choose swimming over other workouts.
Of course, you can always have the best of both worlds and alternate swimming and hiking every other day! That is the best option if your body can handle both exercises. Experts say it’s good to switch up your exercise routine, because if you do the same thing day after day your body eventually hits a plateau, which defeats the purpose of getting in shape and staying healthy!
Tell Us!
Which is your favorite exercise: swimming or hiking? And why? Tell us in the comment section below!
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