Recent Blog Articles

Talking to your doctor about your LGBTQ+ sex life

Untangling grief: Living beyond a great loss

Thunderstorm asthma: Bad weather, allergies, and asthma attacks

Heart problems and the heat: What to know and do

I’m too young to have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, right?

Period equity: What it is and why it matters

Back pain: Will treatment for the mind, body—or both—help?

Colon cancer screening decisions: What’s the best option and when?

Cognitive effects in midlife of long-term cannabis use

If climate change keeps you up at night, here's how to cope
Exercise & Fitness
Ready, set, hike!
- By Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
Hiking in nature moves your body and refreshes your mind.
In 2020, when everyone was stuck in COVID lockdown, hiking enjoyed a popularity boom. A report found that the number of hikes logged in 2020 was up 171% compared with 2019. The number of individual hikers rose 135%.
"This makes sense, since hiking continues to be one of the safest activities during COVID, because it is done outside and away from confined group settings," says Dr. Edward Phillips, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. "Plus, what’s a better antidote for being cooped up than getting outside for some therapeutic time with nature?"
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
You might also be interested in…

Walking for Health
The simple activity of walking has so many powerful health benefits. Done correctly, it can be the key to losing weight, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and boosting your memory, as well as reducing your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer and more. Walking for Health, created by the experts at Harvard Medical School, takes you step-by-step from why walking may be the most perfect exercise, to how to get started on a walking program, to specific walking workouts. It even has a special section on walking for weight loss.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!