Healthy Parks Healthy People

First Day Hike

A First Day Hike is a fun and healthy way to kick off the New Year. The concept is simple: on January 1, visit a provincial park near you for a hike!

You can either take a self-guided hike with your friends and family, or visit a park hosting a guided hike. Either way, you’ll feel great after a day spent outside with your loved ones.

First Day Hikes promote a year-long embrace of health and happiness in the outdoors. Plus, hiking offers head-to-toe health benefits.

Here are just a few reasons why hiking is good for you:

• Hiking is good for cardiovascular health and can help reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke
• Hiking tones muscles in your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Add some hills or uneven terrain for an even better cardio workout and to burn more calories
• Research shows that spending time outdoors may increase your attention span and creative problem-solving skills by as much as 50%
• Nature sounds like birds and rushing water have been shown to lower stress levels

What are you waiting for? Don’t forget to tag us in your #FirstDayHike snapshots on social media!