Mini adventures. Time in the back country.
Before moving to Ireland, I lived in Scotland, where fabulous mountain and hill walking can be had.
If you are looking to lose weight, then walking is one of the best exercises you can engage in. Mountain and hill walking add some enhancements:
- Height gain. Walking uphill will burn more calories
- What I would term bodily contortions. i.e. the twisting and turning of the torso involved in walking over rough terrain is great general stretching and tone up of the core muscles, the abdomen.
- Height loss. Walking down steep slopes can be just as physically demanding as walking up hill ! In fact it could be argued that it is often considerably more so.
I’m also keen on mountain biking, and Scotland and Ireland provide great opportunities for these types of mini adventures. Perhaps most especially in Scotland where there are some great SUV tracks heading into the mountainous areas.
A site I used a lot in Scotland and would highly recommend is Walk highlands
NOTE ! even the tamest looking walks can present challenges !
Be safe:
- Always tell someone where you are going, and when you are likely to be back.
- Wear suitable clothing and footwear.
- Take a compass ! don’t be solely dependent on you phone or GPS device.
- Make sensible judgements about how much hydration and food you are likely to need.
a good place to start
mini adventures
