Hiking helps with high blood pressure and prevents diabetes: do health insurance companies cover the "mountain cure"?
Created: 05/17/2022, 09:45 am
By: Juliane Gutmann
Spending time in nature reduces stress levels.
People with cardiovascular problems also benefit.
Some of the costs for “mountain cures” are even covered by health insurance.
Is a break in the mountains the perfect balance to everyday life for you?
You are not alone in this.
One of the most popular excursion destinations are the Bavarian Alps.
And the Allgäu also lures with countless mountain peaks from which you can enjoy beautiful panoramic views.
The mountains don't just magically attract athletes
.
Many people instinctively know that spending time in nature is good for your health.
It has been proven that time in the countryside reduces stress levels and thus blood pressure*.
What also speaks in favor of a hiking holiday:
A lot of exercise in the fresh air prevents obesity and thus also diabetes
.
The cardiovascular system is also trained, which prevents heart disease.
Even psychological problems can be alleviated by an active holiday in the mountains.
A reason why the health insurance companies cover the costs for such activities, isn't it?
Hiking reduces the stress level and trains the heart and circulation.
© Wilfried Feder/Imago
Fit & Healthy Survey
Health insurance companies do not cover conventional hiking holidays
Many health insurance companies cover part or all of the costs for prevention courses such as guided back training.
Stays in climatic health resorts are partially or fully covered by many health insurance companies if a specialist sees the need for it and confirms it.
Exercise therapy as part of rehabilitation measures is also covered by health insurance.
However, conventional hiking holiday offers are not among the health cures that are covered by health insurance companies
.
Except for special offers, such as a healing climatic movement therapy offered in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
This is recognized by health insurance companies and can be prescribed by doctors.
In other countries, the range of hiking therapies is greater than in Germany, according to a press release from the camping and hiking magazine BeyondCamping.
Doctors in Scotland's Shetland Islands, for example, would prescribe so-called
natural
prescriptions as part of the treatment of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure.
According to a CNN report, these include long walks and bird watching.
Patients with depression and anxiety disorders would also benefit from the natural recipes, the CNN report said.
(jg) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
