If you are planning an adventure in nature with your friends or family, it is better to prepare yourself beforehand to strengthen, get your legs and core muscles like abs and lower back in shape. We suggest you follow the following steps to know how to train for hiking in the mountains.
How to Train for Hiking – Steps
Stretch
A 10-minute stretching circuit reduces the likelihood of injury. It can also help prevent muscle imbalances and help you recover faster from a demanding day of hiking. Try this combination: 30 seconds of foam roller followed by another 30 seconds of static stretching of the same muscle.
Workout to Improve Cardio
High-intensity interval training or HIIT (High Interval Training) alternates short repetitions of intense exercise with recovery periods. It is best to start with a 2:1 ratio, for example, 40 seconds of intense exercise followed by 20 seconds of recovery. Do not forget to warm up before the routine by walking up and downstairs for 2 to 3 minutes.
Try TRX
Incorporating suspension training into your workout routine will allow you to avoid muscle imbalances in your legs by working both the front and back of your legs.
Improve Strength with Circuit Training
Circuit training is a series of exercises performed one after the other, with no breaks. Properly planned, it allows you to work most of the muscles involved in hiking and improve cardio in less than 10 minutes. Try this specific version for hikers: 12 squats, 12-20 push-ups, 5-8 jumping jacks, 20 mountain climbers, 20 sit-ups (lying on your back turn your legs side to side without moving your trunk), and 10 squats with each leg.
Warm-up Properly
Try a dynamic flexibility circuit and you will see how it improves your fitness for hiking. A good warm-up includes between 3 and 10 exercises with 10 repetitions of each, resting the minimum time between each one.
Work on your Balance
Improve your endurance and strengthen the muscles in your legs, ankles, knees, and hips with step training. This should be between 15 and 30 centimeters high and you should perform between 12 and 20 repetitions with each leg. Rest 60 seconds between each exercise and, as you improve, increase the difficulty by adding weight.
Lunges
One of the easiest exercises that we can do at home is the lunges that will help us to strengthen the quadriceps and glutes that we will need for hiking.
How to do Lunges?
Stand up and from that position take a step forward so that the front leg is bent at 90 degrees, push up without moving your feet and then return to the starting position, with 15 repetitions is enough then change legs, complete 3 sets to finish the exercise.
Lateral Jumps
This exercise will help us strengthen different parts of the leg in this case are the abductors and quadriceps.
From a standing position take a jump separating your legs and then jump back to the starting position. Do 15 repetitions and 3 sets to complete the exercise.
Walking
A classic way to get in shape for hiking but nothing better than going for a 30-minute walk for an hour every day, this will prepare your fitness and mind for long distances, if you can use tricks like walking to the grocery store instead of using your car or walking to work it can be an excellent workout.
Visualize your Goal
Visualizing your next outing in great detail can improve your chances of success. Just ask Olympic athletes to corroborate this. In fact, in a survey conducted at the Colorado Olympic Training Center, 90% of athletes create a mental image in training. You can do it too, for example, by looking at topographical maps, route reports, and photos to get an idea of the challenges ahead.
We hope you find this guide on how to train for hiking useful. Enjoy your next outdoor adventures.