Me and my love Jenna just got back from a hiking trip to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee, and wow what a great trip.  I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on the vital role hiking in our national parks and forests has had on my health from a holistic perspective.  In the subsequent video, I talk about how Theodore Roosevelt highly valued what he called the “Primal Virtues”, which really is a way of saying we need to tap into our primal nature by connecting to nature and our physical body.   One of the things I love so much about TR is that he revered nature and the wilderness, and he always went there for strength.

This is one of the key aspects missing from modern society and is one of the key aspects, in my opinion, of the mental health and general health crises in America.  We spend so much time trying to control our thoughts, use positive affirmations, sit down and meditate twice a day, go to the gym to better ourselves.  The problem is that none of these activities really immerse us fully back into our natural environment.

The science behind the benefits of sunlight, fresh air, changing temperature, and just the mental peace one attains when hiking in a forest, or the fresh mountain air, is undeniable.  It has profound benefits for our mental and physical health.  The reason I plan hiking trips multiple times throughout the year, is that I want to make sure I am not spinning the wheel, so to speak, and getting stuck in a rut of my own habits and subconscious patterns.  Work becomes monotonious and repetitive, our thoughts become routine, even our relationships can get stale.  The daily grind of life is not something I am complaining about, it is very important, but the problem is when it overtakes our creativity, health, and outlook.  This is when a mental, physical, and spiritual reset is needed.

I have spent many hours climbing mountains, walking through the forest, and pushing my body physically and mentally as one, with the environment as a whole.  When you are in an old growth forest hiking for hours, there is no separation.  You’d be amazed at how your thoughts silence themselves, outlooks on your life become clearer, and your body, even though it is sore and tired, has never felt lighter and happier.

This trip was awesome, we hiked every single day.  The first 3 days we typically did about a 4-6 mile hike just to re-condition our body from the winter off.  The last day we did a 10 mile hike along the Appalachian Trail!  It was amazing, our legs felt like smoothly oiled machines, the lactic acid was gone, our conditioning strong, and the views and fresh mountain air were astounding.  One of the benefits of going late March was the trees were not completely grown in yet, and we had views for miles and miles on a nice clear day.  There were even certain parts of the hike where we were along a cliff where falling would have meant certain death!!  I even like those aspects of the hike, it connects you to your body and reminds me that nature is beautiful, yet unforgiving,

I find it interesting how even though I am stressing my body, making myself uncomfortable, and being outside in changing weather conditions, I never feel less stressed or more at peace.  These trips always provide both me and Jenna with fresh outlooks on our problems in business, life, and even our relationship.  As Einstein famously said, you cannot solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it.  If you need creativity or to solve a complex problem, instead of overthinking, take a week or even just a day, and hit the mountains and turn your mind off.  Let your subconscious reconnect to nature and you’ll never regret it.

I also love to hike because of the physical benefits.  My spine never feels better, my feet never feel stronger, and it really tones and leans out my body that gives me a nice athletic look that I enjoy.  I believe that walking is the movement humans are designed for, but not just walking on flat concrete, walking on uneven surfaces and climbing rocks is essential!  These more complex and uneven surfaces of just a common trail stimulate the nervous system and strengthen the feet and legs and core MUCH more than just walking or running on flat surface!

In closing, remember to respect the “Primal Virtues” and take advantage of the amazing National Park and Forest system here in the U.S.  You’ll never regret a day spent away from artificial lights, cell phones, and indoors.  You’ll never regret reconnecting to nature.

An awesome river running through the forest, the water was crystal clear.

Me hiking up to the lookout point.

Jenna standing on the edge of a cliff!