Fasting hikes are said to increase the health-promoting effect of a fasting cure. We explain how this works and how to organize such a fasting hike. You can bet that this is super healthy for you.
Those who fast often eat little or no solid food. In this case, you may intuitively want to move less and not consume much energy. According to the Association for Independent Health Counseling (UGB), physical activity is essential to fasting. According to Buchinger, in a group under professional supervision, the best results are achieved when fasting.
This is precisely how many fasting hikes work. This is because it is about more than just walking during the fasting cure: Finding your way back to yourself and nature.
It is best to go on a fasting hike with an organization. They will draw up a meal plan and a program – with group activities, lectures, relaxation exercises, and medical care. But how exactly does fasting hiking work, what advantages does it have over “normal” fasting, and which organizers are best suited to it?
Fasting hikes: Exercise enhances the benefits of a fasting cure
Regain clarity while fasting in nature. When you don’t eat, your body enters a state known as ketosis. It no longer gets its energy from the sugar you feed it. Instead, it primarily draws on so-called ketone bodies produced in the liver from your fat cells. People in the Stone Age regularly lived in this state, to which studies also attribute positive effects on the brain. Therefore, researchers are intensively investigating the health benefits and disadvantages of the ketogenic diet.
While fasting, your body draws almost all of its energy from ketone bodies. Despite this, it continuously breaks down muscle. However, if you do light exercise while fasting, you lose fat and keep your muscles, according to the UGB. It is, therefore, vital that you exercise regularly while fasting.
Walking is ideal for this: light walking while fasting doesn’t put too much strain on you but is strenuous enough to keep your muscles on their toes. For example, test subjects in a study at the University of Halle-Wittenberg did not lose any muscle mass after a five-day fasting and hiking cure. According to their statements, the test subjects felt a “great sense of well-being” at the end of the cure.
How does fasting hiking work?
Get all the benefits of fasting hiking – by hiking in a group. Of course, you can plan the project by fasting and walking alone. Plan your fasting schedule and go hiking every day.
However, this is not feasible for most people, as few live near a hiking area. And driving long distances every day isn’t just stressful during the vacation season – it’s also bad for the environment. In addition, inexperienced hikers often find it difficult to assess the hiking routes and their fitness level correctly.
It is, therefore, worth booking a fasting hike with an organization. They will learn suitable hiking routes, organize meals, and prepare a fasting program. You often stay overnight for between five and ten days in accommodation located in a hiking area. You are usually given a light breakfast in the morning, such as a vegetable broth or fasting tea. You then go straight into a group fasting hike.
People who fast often either want to lose weight or suffer from a chronic illness such as rheumatism, gout, or arthrosis. When fasting in a group, you don’t have to go through the cure alone. There is always someone with you who can understand fasting symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, or stomach rumbling.
Secondly, you will be accompanied by experts who can assess how much strain you can put on your body during the fasting cure.
Many organizers also offer yoga and meditation courses to activate your muscles further and support your fasting cure. But don’t worry: most organizers adapt the level of difficulty of the fasting hikes to their participants. So, there is always something for beginners and advanced hikers. Some also have saunas and offer massages.
And most importantly, medical care is usually included for participants with an illness.
Fasting hikes – but where?
Fasting hikes in Germany are worthwhile – for example, in Saxon Switzerland. Several organizations in Germany offer fasting hikes. So you don’t have to travel far to get the most out of your fasting cure. Not only is this good for the environment, but you can also discover new destinations in Germany.
If you are looking for sustainable places to go fast hiking, you can take a look at the following organizations, for example:
If you have always wanted to go to the Black Forest but have not yet had the opportunity, fasting hikes with Gesundkraft-Fasten are perfect. There is a varied program with seminars, massages, and organic food.
The Fasten-Wander-Zentrale has been arranging various organizations in Germany and Europe for over 20 years. In the database, you can enter a desired date and a specific federal state – and choose from various options.
