Short hiking trails often don't require much physical fitness to handle.
If you want to try backpacking like hiking Everest Base Camp, you need a healthy, strong body.
Short hikes are the best training for long hikes, but some daily or gym workouts are essential to improve your stability, strength, and ability to adapt to rough terrain.
As part of your hiking program, try a variety of short hikes so your body can better adapt to different types of terrain.
You can also carry equipment with you and, if possible, increase your distance by 10% per week to help improve endurance.
Most people know that aerobic capacity is essential for hiking, but strong core and upper body strength are also important.
Try these nine easy ways to get in shape for your future hike.
1, go fast:
If you're new to hiking, start your training program in your neighborhood, or in a nearby park, and be sure to walk fast enough to get your heart rate up and make you sweat.
If you can, find a sandy spot to go for a brisk walk. Walking on the sand helps strengthen key muscles in your legs and ankles, which helps prevent sprains on hiking trails.
Start with shorter distances and work your way up to the length of your hike.
Start training by setting aside a day between walks to allow your body to recover, and try to do it daily as you get stronger -- this will help build your endurance.
Make leg-based cardio a part of your daily routine. In addition to long, brisk walks, incorporate some leg-based cardio into your daily routine.
Cycling is great for building leg muscles, but so are football, rugby, squash and swimming.
If you prefer a gym workout, you can mix the treadmill and bike with squats and lunges.
2. Take the stairs:
Take the stairs whenever you can. Stair climbing is a great way to tone your calves and quadriceps, so when you're at work or getting home, try to take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Hiking includes some inclines up and down hills, which can be difficult to practice if you live in a flat area. Walking up and down stairs is similar to hiking up and down hills and is a great way to work the core muscles in your legs.
3, exercise abdominal muscle groups:
Your abdominal muscle groups are essential for stability and balance on rough terrain, so they're just as important as leg endurance.
Sit-ups are an effective way to exercise the core muscles of the abdomen, and because they are not affected by the environment, they are ideal for walking training.
4, habit backpack:
Carrying a heavy backpack can deplete your energy quickly, but you have to carry it on every hike.
So, your shoulde
rs, neck, back and waist also need adaptive training.
Start with a lighter backpack while doing brisk walks or stairs, and gradually increase the weight until you can carry the full weight you expect to carry on a hike.
If your backpack is a little heavier during the workout than it was during the trip, the workout will make your final hike feel like a walk in the park.
Resistance bands are a great way to build muscle strength.
They help you build strength and prevent injury by stretching your muscles well.
Wear resistance bands during lunges and squats to add an extra layer of difficulty to your exercise routine.
Another resistance band exercise that improves gluteal and joint strength is the side band walk.
Wrap the resistance band around your legs just above your knees and stand with your legs hip-width apart. Then, position your body into a squat position with your back straight and your stomach pushing. Step with your left foot to one side and touch with your right foot to maintain tension in the resistance band.
Repeat three times, then walk with your right foot in the other direction, doing 8 to 10 sets on each leg.
Six, lunge:
Lunges can prevent knee injuries for hikers, improve your posture, and strengthen your core.
Lunges are good training for hikers.
Start with eight reps on each side, then increase the number of reps and slowly add weight to get a better workout
7. Rope skipping:
Jumping rope is a great exercise for hikers. Hiking requires a healthy heart and lungs, and good aerobic exercise helps improve the body's ability to get enough oxygen and pump blood quickly.
Jumping rope for 10 minutes is equivalent to jogging for 30 minutes at 9km/h, so it is a very effective alternative.
8. Push-ups:
Push-ups training is necessary for long backpacking trips.
Even if you don't have a problem carrying a backpack, if your shoulders and arms aren't strong enough, you can cause muscle damage when your heavy backpack is repeatedly removed and put back on.
If you can't do a full push-up, you can start with knee-supported push-ups instead of standard push-ups.
This will reduce the load on the shoulders and arms and gradually build upper body strength.
9. Functional training:
For different trails, you also need to strengthen the muscles used mainly for hiking expeditions, a targeted exercise method called functional training.
On any hike, steep or flat, the main muscle groups are your gluteus maximus and abdominal muscles, which stabilize your spine and pelvis and generate a driving force that helps you climb.
The best exercise to work both muscle groups at the same time is the side leg lift. The side leg lift involves exerting force from one leg, lifting the upper leg to between 45 and 60 degrees, preferably tensing the muscle, and then returning to normal.
Alternate lying with your left and right legs doing 25 reps each, 4-6 reps a day, gradually increasing the holding time by 10 seconds a day to build up your strength.
Without good physical fitness, even a simple hike can leave you sore and tired.
Hiking can be challenging for those who are less physically fit, so if you haven't done it in a while, prepare for it.
Simple exercises like sit-ups, lunges, stair walking, and brisk walking can be easily incorporated into your daily routine.
By getting your body in the mood early with regular exercise, you'll be more likely to enjoy hiking.