Hiking is great cardio, improves heart rate and also reduces heart attack risks. It improves bone density immensely since walking is a weight-bearing exercise, which will make it harder to break a bone in the event of an accident. Builds and tones muscles while improving balance. Studies have shown that hiking helps relieve symptoms of stress and anxiety. I mean, why wouldn't it, filling my lungs with crisp, unpolluted oxygen, the sound of birds chirping and the wind blowing through the trees, the aroma of flowers and the sweet essence of a fresh stream, the views from the taller hills and the tallest trees. This is what heaven looks like