GOAL: Hike or Walk 30 Hours in a Natural Environment Between
March 20 - June 11
- Recharge Your Mind
- Explore Nature
- Connect With Family, Friends and Yourself!
- Boost Memory and Concentration
- Increase Energy Levels
- Burn Calories
- Increases Creativity
- Learn Healthy Habits
- Gain Mental Awareness
THE CHALLENGE
Are you looking for a challenge that works with your hiking seasons, yet helps motivate you so you still gain the benefit of physical activity, community, mental wellbeing, along with spending time in nature in a shorter time frame? Now introducing our Seasonal Challenges!
Whether you’re going for an urban walk, a longer hike, or a combination of both, we would like to challenge you to at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) outdoors in a natural environment each week. Some options to break this challenge down are:
How it works
Sign up for the Challenge
Commit to Spending 30 hours (1,800 minutes) Hiking or Walking in a natural environment from March 20 - June 11 by signing up for the challenge below.
We Will Email You Your Log & Education
Upon signing up, we will email you the Spring Series Log in Excel and PDF. We will also send you our Hiker Education page for everything you need to help you get started safely!
Get Outdoors & Get Moving
Plan your hikes/ walks in advance, research and mark them on your calendar! Track each adventure and make sure to tag us on social using the hashtags #52HikeChallenge #SpringHikeChallenge
Share the Challenge with Your Loved Ones
We will email you our Spring Series logo to post on your social media to tell your friends and family about your commitment (download it here too). This will help you create accountability and new hiking buddies!
When Finished Submit Your Finisher Form to be Entered Into a Grand Prize Drawing
Make sure to fill out the Spring Series finisher form, when you are done for a chance to win a Grand Prize! The link will be emailed upon sign up.
JOIN CHALLENGE & SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT!
Join the rest of the movement and support the challenge by signing up below. We want to reward our supporters, so we put together package deals that will help you achieve your goals and save you money.
Sign Up + Starter Package Includes:
- Sign Up for Spring Series
- One (1) 3-Inch "Spring Series" Patch
- Two (2) 3-Inch "Spring Series" Stickers
- Spring Series Kick-Off Zoom Call to learn everything you need to know about hiking with 52 Hike Challenge on Thursday, March 16th at 5 P.M. PT (Recording will be available after)
- We Will Plant a Tree in Your Honor
- "Spring Series" Log
- Private Community to Share Your Progress
- Chance Entry Into Grand Prize Giveaway
$24.99
Please note: This is a pre-order, we must receive your order between now and March 15th. You will be receiving shipment around April 30, 2023.
WHY THIS CHALLENGE?
Did you know, according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and cited by sources such as: WHO, CDC, Health.gov, and Heart.org, adults should get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise1, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise2 every week along with muscle-strengthening exercises3 twice a week?
In addition to the physical benefits, according to a 2019 report published by Scientific Reports, spending at least 120 minutes a week in a natural environments4 has been shown to improve your health and wellbeing. What’s great about all this is you can choose how to divide up your time over the week, with shorter bits more frequently being ideal for your body and creating long-standing habits.
We believe these seasonal challenges will work for everyone, anywhere around the world, so we look forward to seeing a happier and healthier you!
Free Signup:
Does NOT include patch, stickers, invite to the zoom call or a tree planted in your honor. The FREE package signs you up for the challenge, gets you access to the private community, and challenge log. Must fill out finisher form to be entered into Grand Prize Giveaway.
JOIN
THE CHALLENGE
SIGN UP FREEBY SIGNING UP TO TAKE THE 52 HIKE CHALLENGE, YOU ARE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING YOU ARE AGREEING TO OUR DISCLAIMER & TERMS OF USE BELOW (BASICALLY, HIKE AT YOUR OWN RISK, WE'RE JUST HERE TO CHEER YOU ON IN YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY).
Tracking Hikes for the Spring Series Challenge
This challenge is self-directed, you will most likely want to keep track of your hours and we have listed some ways you can track your hikes below.
Please note, this is for your personal use only and we will not collect your logs. At the completion of your challenge, you can fill out the Spring Series finisher form, which is how we track completions and enter you into a Grand Prize drawing. The link for the form will be emailed upon sign up.
1. Use the Spring Series Log in Excel and PDF to help you track your own time by noting the time when you go out and finish. The log is emailed upon sign up.
2. Strava - download the Strava App. When you get outdoors hit the “Record” button on the bottom middle of the screen. Next push “start,” this will track your time, average speed and miles, push the stop button then “finish” to record your track and get your stats. Save your activity to your profile so you can add up your time outside.
3. AllTrails - download the AllTrails App. When you get outdoors click on the “Navigate” button on the bottom middle of the screen. Click on a route or you can click on “Start Without a Route.” Next, push “Start,” this will track your time, distance, elevation gain, average pace, average speed and calories. Push the “pause” button for a few seconds, then push “Finish,” to record your track. Get your stats under “Saved” and “Activities.” See our video on how to use AllTrails here.
FAQ's
- When does the Spring Series start? The Spring Series 2023 starts March 20 and ends June 11. So, get out there and start tracking your nature walks and hikes!
- Do these hikes / walks count towards the 52 Hike Challenge? YES!! Any hikes or walk over 1-mile can be counted toward the 52 Hike Challenge.
- Can I do the Spring Series if I am in another country? YES!! The Spring Series can be taken anywhere in the world. Please note, the challenge season is based off the Northern Hemisphere locations.
- I just found out about the challenge. Can I count previous hikes? We want your challenge to be intentional. This challenge is about immersing yourself in nature to gain the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional benefit that come from the outdoors. So please start counting your hikes or walks from the date you commited to the challenge.
- Will I be doing the walks / hikes with 52 Hike Challenge? This is a self-directed, personal challenge. You can check your park on docent led hikes, check our local chapters, or organize your own group of friends to join you. We also host pop-up hikes that occur in many areas, please sign up for our newsletter where we announce our group trips in addition to checking our Events page. Other than that, we hope we gave you all the resources (clothing/gear recommendations and hiking groups) you need to get started in your area!
- How do I find hikes and walks? Check out our Finding Trails page, you can also do an online search, or buy a local hiking book. :) Better yet, stop by the local ranger station of your chosen park / area and get their recommendation. You can also learn more on our Planning Your Hikes & Goal Setting For Your 52 Hike Challenge blog post.
- What is considered a "Hike"? Since it is our mission to make this challenge accessible to people of all abilities, we'll count 1-mile minimum as a hike. This includes a walk in your neighborhood, wooded areas, beaches, and local parks.
- Is there a list of hikes I need to complete? No, this is about you making a commitment and getting outdoors more, so it can be something from a nature walk to a longer hike. We do have a log in Excel and PDF that will be emailed to you upon sign up to help you track your hikes. In addition, we find a lot of challengers get hiking ideas from searching what others have posted using hashtag #52HikeChallenge. Searching this in Instagram reveals a lot of cool places to put on your bucket list, click this link to see what other challengers are sharing.
- Can I repeat a hike? Do they have to be different? Yes, you can do repeat walks / hikes.
- Are there any prizes or awards? We are happy you are doing the challenge! When you are done with your 30 hours, make sure to fill out the Spring Series finisher form (link in sign up email) for a chance to win an awesome Prize Pack! You can also purchase Merchandise on our site.
- How will you keep track of my hikes? We strongly encourage you to keep track of your hikes to help you stay motivated and accountable. We covered "Tracking Hikes" in the section above (you can print the log, use Strava or AllTrails). We also use social media and a bit of the honor system. To do this, we ask that you post a picture of your hike / walk on social media and use hashtags #SpringHikeChallenge and #52HikeChallenge plus tag@52HikeChallenge so that we can see your progress. We also hope that in the process you encourage more friends and family to get outdoors and join you!
- I have other questions not listed here... If your question still hasn't been answered please use our contact form to submit your questions to us.
Citations:
1. Example of moderate intensity exercise is brisk walking (at least 2.5 miles per hour), working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat.
2. Example of vigorous intensity exercise is hiking uphill or with a heavy backpack, where you won’t be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.
3. Muscle-strengthening activity can also be done by using elastic bands or body weight for resistance (push-ups, pull-ups, planks, squats, lunges, for example). No specific amount of time is recommended for muscle strengthening, but muscle-strengthening exercises should be performed to the point at which it would be difficult to do another repetition.
4. Examples of natural environments are parks, woodlands and beaches. Both green spaces in cities and green spaces in less urban places had a positive impact.
Additional benefits associated with meeting these minimums:
* Lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia and Alzheimer’s, several types of cancer, and some complications of pregnancy
* Better sleep, including improvements in insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea
* Improved cognition, including memory, attention and processing speed
* Less weight gain, obesity and related chronic health conditions
* Better bone health and balance, with less risk of injury from falls
* Fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety
* Better quality of life and sense of overall well-being
CHECK OUT OUR SPRING HIKING MERCHANDISE
The 52 Hike Challenge 2023 is brought to you by
JOIN THE OVER 60,000+ PARTICIPANTS!
"'Hiking helped me during my battle with breast cancer, it kept me strong, positive and healthy enough to fight better against chemo and radiation treatment. I am 15 months cancer-free and I strongly believe hiking helped me.' - Meredith Crane
"'I made it! I hiked 52 trails in one year!! I can’t even begin to describe the feeling of being done. Of completing one of the hardest challenges I have ever taken on. I’m stronger now than I was a year ago.' - Valerie Bogert
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