Get Fit For Hiking (Without Just Walking)

When trying to develop their fitness for hiking, many hikers like to rely on one thing...

Walking.

Day after day, they get out in the local neighbourhood or on the treadmill and clock up the miles under their feet.

But, if you are truly looking to develop your fitness and capabilities for the trail, this is a mistake.

Walking is essential and should be a part of any hiker's preparations. It is not the ONLY thing you can be doing. 

There are countless other ways to develop your fitness for the trail than just walking. 

​And today, I want to share with you a few good ideas you can try:

(Please note: this email discusses developing your fitness and conditioning - not strength. Strength training is a whole different subject.) 

So you might be asking yourself, why should I bother? Walking is the closest thing I can get to hiking (without actually getting on the trail) - why not just do that? 

Well, this is for three big reasons:

• Using different types of training reduces the risk of overuse injuries (just doing the same thing over and over and over again, without variation, 
  
  
• Mixing things up can increase the enjoyment factor (sometimes walking can get a bit dull! Mixing things up can make the whole process much more enjoyable and allow help you to stick with your training over the long term)
  
  
• Other workouts can be more 'time efficient than just walking (walking for training can, admittedly, take a while. Other types of training can be slightly more challenging/difficult and won't require as much of a time commitment)

So, having a bit of variation in your week can be pretty beneficial! 

So if you shouldn't be just walking, what other things can you be doing? Which will still be relevant to helping your hiking? 

Well, here is a list of 16 great ideas:

1.  Stair intervals (outdoors or in the gym)
2.  Hill intervals 
3.  Elliptical 
4.  Rowing
5.  Sled pushing/pulling
6.  Cycling on the flat (stationary or real cycle) 
7.  Cycling hill intervals 
8.  Moderate intensity circuit training (i.e. choose several exercises, and perform them back to back for an extended period)
9.  Jogging
10.  Rock scrambling (i.e. go down to a headland at a beach or a river, and walk along the rocks)
11.  Step session (find a small step, and do step-ups for some time)
12.  Skiing (if you are lucky enough to live near the snow!)
13.  Swimming
14.  Pool walking
15.  Tire circuits (get a tire, flip it, drag it, pull it, etc.)
16.  High-rep strength training (choose several easy strength exercises and do lots and lots of repetitions) on

Each of these, in their own way, can be very useful for a hiker to help develop their fitness for the trail. 

So, if all you have been doing for your cardio is walking, then maybe try one or two of these ideas.

The change might do you good! 

And of course, if you want some personalised help to help get fit, strong and resilient for your adventures, you can check out The Online Summit Program here:

https://www.summitstrength.com.au/online.html

Yours in trekking,  

Rowan