Hiking can be a good form of exercise, and granted it’s not really something most people do every day.  However, it can be enjoyable, healthy, and exert the kind of energy you need to in order to get your heart rate up and otherwise.  This being said, there are a few tips to follow.  First of all, start early.  If you do, you are less likely to hit the heat of midday and therefore it’s more likely to be more of a pleasant experience rather than otherwise a negative experience in general.  Especially if you are going long distances, the lack of excess heat will help.  Second, don’t carry too much, and wear light clothes.  The more weighing you down, the harder it’s going to be.  Less weight allows you to cover longer distances and at a higher speed.  Third, make sure you are bringing food and water. It’s easy to get dehydrated on any hike, and on longer hikes especially, you may well get hungry.  So it’s extremely important to cover these particular needs with your body and take care of it in general so that it is satisfied in all these particular ways and comfortable.  It will also make you more likely to go on said hikes in the future and therefore get all the exercise benefits out of it.