Winter Hiking: Efficient and Healthy Training During the Cold Season

Feb. 19, 2013 - PRLog -- Landscapes covered with fresh, untouched snow enchant hiking discoverer with a special winter romance. But not only fascinating natural scenery can be experienced; winter hiking is also an effective workout, benefiting fitness, health and weight management. With the right technical equipment, active people can efficiently train stamina and musculature, support essential bodily processes, and lose some extra pounds left over from the holidays.

Special hiking tools: Step counters support effective walking training
With the help of special walking tools, fervent hikers can easily support the training efficiency of their hiking experience. A distinct feature that provides great help in this regard is the so called walking intensity indicator, which is referred to as MET (metabolic equivalents). This feature displays the intensity of exercise in ratio to the intensity while resting. The Walking style X from Omron Healthcare, for example, shows users exactly how intense and effective their current hiking exercise is. The MET display reaches from 2 METs to 4 METs. On average, while sitting at rest 1 MET and while walking at normal pace 3 METs are used. The more intensive a physical activity is, the higher the metabolic equivalent.
With Omron’s handy step counter, hikers are able to monitor how high their walking intensity was during the last minute, and can try to reach 4 METs during intensive workout. On top of that, the Walking style X also provides the amount of steps, measures the walked distance and calculates the resulting amount of calories burnt while hiking. Thereby, users can control their exercise intensity and know precisely how many calories are burnt during each intensity level. With the memory function, the device saves the weekly data and displays the remaining exercise quantity required to reach the week’s target. Even if there are days when users are unable to exercise enough, the Walking style X will note the exercise they have missed. They will then have the rest of the week to make up for the lack of exercise. That provides plenty of motivation to be more active even during the cold winter months.

Health benefits for hikers
Having special digital support while hiking, active people can support the many positive effects on health and fitness during the nature experience of winter hiking, as the physical activity soothes body and soul. Fighting everyday stress, hiking provides relaxation and a healthy state of equilibrium. The release of stress hormones is reduced and the good mood returns more quickly even on bad days. The cardiovascular system profits from activity in winter, too: pulse and blood pressure are reduced and the heart’s stroke volume is increased. Hiking also stimulates metabolism, as harmful substances can be removed better and partly transported out of the body through sweat. Furthermore, leg musculature is strengthened, which relieves the knees and the hips. The stabilized stomach and back musculature prevents damage to body posture. Last but not least, the positive effect on weight management has to be mentioned. Depending on walking intensity, one hour of hiking burns up to 550 kcal – an additional advantage for maintaining a slimmer figure even during the mostly cosy winter time.

With the different benefits in mind and a hiking tool at one’s side, everyone can start in a driven mood their healthy hiking experience in snowy-romantic surroundings.

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About Omron Healthcare
Committed to improving people’s lives, OMRON Healthcare provides clinically proven, innovative medical equipment for health monitoring and therapy. Our product portfolio includes blood pressure monitors, respiratory therapy devices, electronic fever thermometers and activity monitors as well as body composition monitors and professional medical devices. OMRON Healthcare Group is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. OMRON Healthcare Europe B.V. is the healthcare division for Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa, and provides service to customers in more than 60 countries through a powerful distribution network.

For more information, please visit www.omron-healthcare.com.

Contact for product enquiries:
OMRON HEALTHCARE EUROPE B.V.
Matthieu Valk
Scorpius 33, 2132 LR Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
Mail: matthieu.valk@eu.omron.com
Phone: 0031 (0) 23 55 44 700

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