Author: Kadanza | Page 2 | Hiking Back to Health

How to Stay Warm Outside in Winter

February 27, 2023February 17, 2023 by Kadanza

Hiking in winter can be splendid, but how to stay warm outside, walking in cold or rainy weather?

I live near the North Sea coast in Holland, so the winters are moderately cold, no extreme temperatures here. Rain, fog and strong winds are more regular companions during the winter months. Even in these weather conditions, a good preparation before a long hike is necessary.

Staying Dry is Vital to Stay Warm

*Getting soaked by rain during a citytrip with my mom, I was glad to wear a waterproof jacket!*

You want to make sure that you don’t get wet, not only from the outside, but especially from the inside. So a good raincoat is essential. But if you sweat easily and plentiful, like me, staying dry from the inside out can also be a challenge, even in dry weather!

According to the weather and the circumstances, I either use breathable sport shirts from high tech materials, that transport any produced sweat swiftly away from the skin to the next layer of clothing, or a first layer clothing of good quality merino wool .

Whatever you choose, make sure to keep away from cotton!

My Daily Walk – My Fitness Challenge Week 1&2

February 17, 2023February 7, 2023 by Kadanza

First things first: I didn’t break the chain, but made my daily walk every single day for the last 16 days. I am so proud of myself! I know it is very early in this challenge, but without committing myself to it, I probably would have walked just 9 days out of 16. There was a lot going on in my life.

Goal Setting and Actual Planning Are Key

Fitness Challenge : 365 hikes in 2023

January 21, 2023January 21, 2023 by Kadanza

shadow figure standing on the beach New year, same me…

Unfortunately, the start of a fresh new year doesn’t automatically bring me better motivation, discipline and mindset.

So I came up with a hiking challenge for myself:

365 days of hiking in 2023, to hit my fitness goal by

Hiking in Thailand? Not possible for me!

January 21, 2023October 16, 2022 by Kadanza

Thai foot massage on the food market My fitness level improved a lot this summer, and I expected to keep this upward trend going. Then I decided to visit a friend in Thailand with my travel points…

The weather in Thailand is hot and humid

These are far from ideal walking circumstances for me. I have quite severe lymphatic edema and

Strolling through the streets of Athens

November 27, 2023May 10, 2022 by Kadanza

Quick post, to share some pics of my visit to Athens.

I have been to Athens several times before, so I didn’t feel the urge to visit all the historical sites in the 5 days I spent with my dad at the beginning of April 2022.

We revisited quite a few of them anyway, focusing on 1 museum/ historical highlight a day. For the rest of the time, we just followed our feet, randomly strolling through the city.

*This is the view from the balcony, I literally saw the Parthenon / Acropolis on waking up and before going to bed, how cool is that?

Getting back in my walking shoes

January 21, 2023May 7, 2022 by Kadanza

Remember my proud post with my results after 3 months training for a real hike? How I recovered from long-covid, got fit and lost some weight? Well, that was great.

But then I got Covid again… Omikron this time. I was quite ill, in bed with high fever for almost two weeks.

But it wasn’t all bad news.

Lesson learned!

Back in 2020, I was stubborn and just couldn’t accept that I was exhausted all the time, I was fighting

Walking for Health Benefits – my Results after 3 Months

October 16, 2022January 12, 2022 by Kadanza

In early October 2021 I was completely fed up with my low energy level combined with numerous health issues, so I decided to create a personal training plan* to get fit. I have been walking daily for health benefits since then. The results of my first 3 months of healthy and helpful habits are way … Read more

Does walking help with depression?

March 17, 2024January 10, 2022 by Kadanza

Yes, it does. The good news: you don’t have to go for a run. Walking improves your mood.

To make the best of your walks while battling depression, I share some tips and ideas about your surroundings, your company, your goal setting and overall self care. This way you can optimize the positive effects of your walks.

Location matters, when walking to relieve depression

Moving your body supports your brain in many ways.
But there is a big difference in effect between walking indoors, walking in urban surroundings and walking in nature.

Is Walking Good for Weight Loss?

February 20, 2023December 7, 2021 by Kadanza

Burning calories while walking sure helps to lose weight.

But for most people, just walking as a work out isn’t enough for sustainable weight loss. Let me tell you why.

Walking is excellent cardiovascular exercise, if done right

Brisk walking for half an hour is effectively burning around 150 calories, depending on your weight, your pace and the duration of the walk. The keyword here is brisk.

If you can still talk, but aren’t able to sing anymore, your pace is in the cardiovascular training zone*. Do this for at least 30 minutes and you start burning some stored fat while walking. During the first half hour you burn sugars, stored in your body, as fuel. If all the stored sugars are used up, your body starts to burn fat that is stored in your fat cells. That fat is what you want to lose, so the sooner you’re able to walk at least 45 minutes, the better 😉

*Of course this is an estimated way of measuring if you’re exercising in the right heart rate. For more accurate results you have to use a smart watch (Apple Watch or Fitbit both give you a great deal of information about your work out ) or a heart rate monitor with a band around your chest. But for most people the estimated guess is good enough.

How can I use Hiking as Exercise?

February 20, 2023December 1, 2021 by Kadanza

This question popped up in my head a few months ago, while feeling desperate with my own exhaustion and my painful legs. The gym was closed due to a Covid-19 lockdown, and I was literally out of breath in 2 minutes. I didn’t even make it to the grocery store, let alone the beach – which is located a 20-minute walk from my house. Hiking beautiful and long nature paths felt way out of reach.

But what if I would use walking as my exercise to become fit again?