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Today’s Healthy Monday Tip: Take a hike! Hiking is one of the most enjoyable forms of exercise, and unless you are flying or driving long distances to get to the trailhead, it’s one of the greenest, too. If you live in an urban area with a lot of smog, it’s also a safer way to get sweaty outdoors.

If you are new to hiking and don’t know where to go, this website claims to be the largest trail database in the world. US urbanites can look into LocalHikes.com for trails that are easily accessed from metropolitan areas. Many farms offer on-site tours, which can often be a bit of a hike too. Find one on our Guide — you get outdoors, learn about a local farm, and get some good groceries, while you’re at it. Don’t forget to bring water, food, and sunscreen, and take care not to disturb wildlife or flora (hint: stay on the trail!). For more tips, check out this Kaboose article and if you are in a state, city or national park, be sure to review whatever literature the park provides. And watch out for ticks! I found one on my thigh after hiking around some farms last week in upstate New York (apparently, Duchess County has one of the highest concentrations of ticks in the world!). Wearing light-colored clothing, including long sleeve shirts, and tucking your pant legs into your socks (which might not look very cool, but is your best defense against ticks) should keep you pretty safe, but be sure to check your entire body for ticks when you get home. Getting bombed by mosquitoes can spoil your hike, too, so you might consider some insect repellent–a quick Google search will pull up a number of organic products, or try this recipe for organic bug spray. Mosquitoes come out in force around nightfall, so planning your hike earlier in the day helps, too.