Getting Huffed And Puffed When Hiking Up Hills

I have an embarrassing admission to make to you all... when I am out hiking, I get huffed and puffed on hills.
I know, what a terrible thing to admit. But it is the truth.

Now, this isn't always the case. But right now it is something which I am struggling with. And it definitely is impacting my enjoyment on the trail.

Let me tell you a story:

A few weeks ago, I went out on my first decent day hike since COVID.

It was in my local, national park, with a few good mates I hadn't seen in a while. The trail wasn't anything crazy, mostly flat, with the occasional moderate climb. But every time those inclines came around, I was pretty out of breath!

And this put me in a tricky spot. Because I am a trainer. And I did NOT want to let me mates hear. Because I would never hear the end of it...

So I did my best to carry on with my conversation. I tried to breathe as quietly as I could. And really concentrated on getting through it, without anyone noticing.

Which wasn't much fun to say the least!

Now you might be thinking right now, why would a personal trainer who specialises in hikers, be getting out of breath on hills? Isn't that what I help people with?

And if that is running through your mind, that is fair enough.

The honest answer is my training and exercise has been pretty rubbish over COVID. Motivation, accessibility and consistency have been something I have been struggling with since everything started. And it was pretty evident when I finally got back on the trail!

And I know this situation isn't unique to me. I know MANY hikers out there struggle with this, and while they are fine on the flat, and can hike for hours and hours without any issue, the minute they come across some elevation, they turn into a red-faced, huffing and puffing mess.

But there is one major difference between myself and most hikers who find themselves in this situation.

I know exactly what I need to do to fix it.

I know the specific training, workouts and exercises which will transfer over to this challenge of the trail.

I know the exact things I need to do in my week.

And I know, if I put my head down, I can make a dramatic difference to my comfort and performance while hiking uphill, in as little as four weeks. And I can turn those ascents into a walk in the park.

How do I know this? Well, this is what I do every week! And I have helped dozens and dozens of hikers over the last few years with this issue and honed in my training systems for hikers to the tee.

Now going into the exact system, I use to stop getting huffed and puffed when hiking uphill is a bit beyond this article...

But if you do struggle with this, there is an easy solution to your problem.

The Online Summit Program will give you everything you need to get fit, strong and pain-free for your hiking. It is tired and tested with dozens of real world hikers, and the results speak for themselves.

If you want to learn more, and turn those hills from an absolute ordeal, into your strongest section of the trail, you can find more here:

The Online Summit Program

Yours in adventure,

Rowan