> ... series of immediate physical constraints is why these hikes are so addictive for people in high-abstraction fields

That really hit home. I work in data analysis but in the early 2000s did a 4-month cycle in Australia and a 7-month walking pilgrimage in Europe. Since then, I've become addicted to walking for a few months every few years. Love the physical challenge of moving across the landscape. But 'suffer' when I return to abstract data work. Feels like a loss of purpose etc... thanks for that insight... Never thought of it in that way...