A Guide to Getting in Shape for Hiking

Hiking does not mean walking in the woods rather it requires a lot of strength and balance. In fact, hiking can be a tough physical challenge for you and you may struggle to manage the long walk if you are not in good shape. That is the reason why you need some preparation before you start your trip for hiking so that it becomes more enjoyable and easier.

In fact, you should do strength, balance as well as cardiovascular exercises as a part of your training plan that will certainly help you to prepare for hiking.

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How should you prepare for hiking?

It is not only the usual exercise that you have to do for preparing for hiking adventure but you must do a lot of things to get yourself ready for this adventurous trip. So, no matter whatever your age may be, you should try the following fitness tips for preparing yourself to achieve your goal of hiking:

Start with the basic exercise:

It is generally seen that most people suffer from ankle rolling and ankle sprains when they go for hiking. So, it is very important to start with the basic exercise for warming up your muscles as well as getting your heart rate up. You should run or walk in the sand that can strengthen your muscles for protecting your knees and ankles during the hiking. You can also get a resistance band and stretch it to a full extent which will certainly help you to strengthen your muscles.

Focus on cardiovascular fitness:

It is very important to do aerobic activity for at least 150 minutes a week. Some of the best aerobic activities that you can do to prepare for hiking are swimming, cycling, brisk walking, jogging, etc. You can also try some bodyweight exercise such as jumping jacks, squats, leg raises, hops, half-jacks, etc. The best thing about these exercises is that they will help you to get your heart pumping and they do not need any special equipment or skill set. These exercises are easy equally as effective.

Focus on leg strength:

Leg strength exercise is a must for the hikers of all ages. While you do hiking your legs have to do most of the work and so leg strength is most essential for experiencing enjoyable hiking. As such you have to do a lot of exercises that help to strengthen your legs such as lunges, squats as well as calf raises. Apart from that, you should also set your treadmill at a higher incline or you can also walk up a few hills for the best preparation.

Focus on muscles strength:

You should do some activity for strengthening your core muscles. Abdominal muscles, back muscles, muscles in the pelvis, muscles in legs are the core muscles of a human body that gives them the strength, balance, and flexibility. You can do a lot of exercise such as crunches, bridges, and planks for strengthening your muscles. Cycling can also be a very useful activity. If you are women the always wear the best cycling shorts so that you feel comfortable while cycling. In the market, you will get many cycling shorts but buy only the best cycling shorts for women.

Train with weight:

While you will go for hiking you have to carry a significant amount of weight. So, it is a good practice to get habituated to that requirement. Hence, it is recommended to wear weight pack on the training hikes. If you are not used to carrying heavy weight you should start your training with 10 pounds in your pack and increase the weight as you get stronger. You should try to at least 5 pounds every week in your pack until it becomes as heavy as it will be in your actual hiking trip.

Prepare a hike for trial:

Once you prepare with all the necessary exercise you should put all your effort to work by doing a few practice hikes before starting the actual hike. You should go to the place with variable terrain as well as elevation to check how your body responds at the time of the stress. Also, remember to wear all your pack and carry a few water bottles so that you get used to handling with the weight pack. Actually, the practice hikes help you to determine the areas where you need to improve.

Mental preparation is also very important:

It is very important to prepare mentally before you start your journey of hiking. Remember fear is the biggest enemy that people usually encounter with whenever they try to do anything new. It is very important to combat the fear with physical preparation. You should also visualize success and remember that fear happen to everybody even those who are well-prepared. Hence it is very important to do a lot of positive things that make your body ready for the hiking trip and help you to combat your fear.

Give yourself time to prepare for a hike:

Before you go for an actual hike you should give yourself enough time to prepare for the adventure. Actually, your body needs some time something in between three weeks to three months for watching a significant improvement of your body. You should increase your fitness level and for that, you must give your body some time to respond to the changes.

Apart from all these, you should also take nutritious foods that are rich in carbohydrate, proteins, vitamins, minerals, etc. into your diet that will help you a lot to get in shape for hiking.