5 UNUSUAL & SIMPLE ways to get better at Hiking

Hiking, like other low-impact workouts, offers tremendous mental and physical benefits to your wellbeing. You can always get better at hiking despite the unpredictability and variables involved.

Physical and mental exercise and preparedness is the most effective way to increase your stamina for hiking. Exercise forms include running, walking, strength training, hill walks and tire dragging. Running and walking helps to build endurance that will get you through your hike. Likewise, strength training like pushups, jump squats, yoga, and other exercises focusing on functional movements, helps build general strength. Hence, exercise helps to increase strength and balance to make your outdoor session last and be more enjoyable. After a few weeks of general training, you can start progress with frequency. The process involves increasing your workout durations and distance covered to get you accustomed to hiking. Apart from these, walking in neighbourhood hills and terrains are great exercises too. It gives you an idea of what to expect when you hike. Additionally, preparing for the hike is probably the most crucial part to any more advanced hiking trips.

There should be more recommendations in our society to be more outside in nature. There are several studies that confirm that being more outside, can lower both blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol. Another study associated good health and wellbeing by being in nature around 120 minutes a week. Since I'm a huge advocate of intuitive movement, hiking is a great way of being in nature more as well as it will get those endorphins flowing.

Some people do not enjoy hiking because it can be too tiring. This is an intuitive movement guide to how you can get better at it, and help FEEL your best while enjoying the trip.

5 ways to improve your stamina for hiking

One of the most effective ways to prepare yourself to last longer on any hiking trip is to exercise for it. Besides just going out and walk in nature bare, it is ideal that you try to simulate the outdoor conditions as best as you can to make the exercise less tasking.

1. Run and walk

Running and walking is the simplest form of routine that you can rehearse for your hike. This is because the exercises are easy to do, and you can do them anywhere. Plus, they are ideal for building endurance. Hiking is walking over different surfaces and terrain for a specified duration. Hence, if you are accustomed to this practice, you won’t feel so tired when you move through the trails.

Running is not fun for everyone. Therefore I suggest you start small. Start with walking in a fast-pace three times a week. As long as you get your pulse up for as long as you feel like you can, that is good enough. The bottom line is to make sure that you make the most of your time. Therefore, as long as you get the pulse up, push the time a little, and then give yourself a day or two as a break, you're at a good start. You can also combine walking and running too. This means that you can start by walking, followed by running a little, then walking again. Follow your body's intuitive movement, do what you feel is natural and fun.

Add in long weekend treks to increase your distance too. When you are consistent with a routine, you can buff it up by increasing the duration and distance by just a little until you are comfortable with the routine.

Walking and running help you to build an excellent base of endurance and stamina that you can use to make light work of your treks.

2. General strength training

Another factor that is as important as endurance is strength. In fact, strength plays an essential role in endurance, especially for long hikes. Hence, it will help if you pay attention to building upper and lower body strength. Apart from building your cardiovascular fitness, strive to build some strength in your cores and legs.

Different workout routines are handy for building strength to complement your endurance. For example, air squats, jump squats, burpees, pushups, yoga, and other dynamic exercises focus on functional patterns of movements to achieve this aim. However, it is crucial to start from the level you can handle.

That said, don’t push yourself to the limits of exhaustion. It will do you no good to break down before you begin your hiking journey. Hence, start with a routine that you can handle. Do the exercises you feel natural to do. Make a list of 5 movements that you'd like at that includes both upper and lower muscles, and do them to you feel some burning sensations in your muscles. Follow the same routine a couple of times, and you're done! Add it to the end of a walk in the park. What ever fits your special and daily life best.

Like you did with running, you can scale up the movements and increase your repetitions as you get better at doing the routines.

3. Tire dragging

Tires are a quite unconventional workout tool we can use to better our stamina when hiking. The exercise is done by attaching a robe/harness around a tire, and then around your waste, to walk with it as an additional weight to your body. You will simply drop the tire around while you walk.

This exercise, as well as combining it with weights in your backpack is a great way to increase both your strength and endurance. After some minutes of dragging, you'll feel a burning sensation in your legs, as well as you will feel a high pulse. The tire dragging or the weights added in your backpack, will mimic the movement in your muscles and endurance that you'll do on an actual hike.

Simply use a rope around an old tire, attach it to a harness you can have around your hips, and start walking. Likewise, add some weights to a backpack and start walking with it. You can use water bottles or other heavy items to add to your backpack if you don't have any weights. Make sure the backpack is made for heavy lifts and supports your shoulders and waste/hips.

4. Try the hills

Spice up your runs and walks but try it out on hilly terrains. The hills will help you get away from too much stress. The good thing is that you don’t have to search too far to find a suitable ground (also if you live in my flat home country Denmark, lol). You can head over to a local trail with short inclines or anywhere with the features on the road or stares in your neighbourhood.

After selecting the spot, pack the necessary gears in a backpack, some water packed as well, as you would if it were a real hike, and walk the incline. Walk up and down on the hill. You can push yourself as hard as you want; chances are that it won’t be as stressful as a high-intensity gym workout, and that is good. There's no need to stress out the body too much.

Nonetheless, you can perform many repetitions to match your current fitness level. It will help if the hill is considerably long. Repeat the process for as long as possible. Remember, the aim is to push yourself to simulate a long hike.

You can also attempt mini hikes in the rain and less pleasant conditions to prepare yourself for the long hikes in variable weather conditions.

5. Improve your breathing

This might seem like a silly and unusual way of improving your stamina for hiking, but it is important. Sometimes when we walk and run, we can feel a stinging sensation on the side of our abdominal area. This is something that can happen when you've just eaten, dunk too much or breathing the wrong way.

One way to help better this in your everyday life and while hiking, is to draw in air deep into your lungs with your diaphragm. Place your hands against your stomach and draw in air through your nose. However, your chest should not move. Instead, tighten the muscles in your stomach when you exhale. Inhale during relaxation and exhale when it feels natural. Use your stomach instead of the chest.

Workaround the frequency

After you've made a habit out of moving your body in a pace you like. You can start playing around with adding in more movement during the week. Instead of thinking that you'll just do it in your spare time; MAKE time for it and spend a few hours carrying out the exercises. This can be more motivating, preparing and helpful for yourself. Make a routine out of it. If you want to pursue long hikes, you should build a place for it. One sure way to do this is to increase the frequency of your exercises.

Just like any other person that want to improve something, strive to build your routines and improve your performance to match your goals. For example, from two days, increase it to four. However, mix your strength, cross-training, and endurance workout. It does not have to be three hours at a stretch. You need to understand that little efforts culminate into significant ones. If you are consistent with the short workouts, you’ll soon see the result you desire.Therefore, I can't stress it enough that you don't have to spend hours a day to move your body. Make it as a routine, and make it work with your everyday life.

5 more suggestions on Mental and Physical Preparedness

1. Prepare the trip

- Know where you walk and select the trail

More than the physical work, it will help if you understand your trails and terrains. Hence, you should always know where you want to hike before starting the hike. The idea is like this; you can’t take up a job on impulse. Likewise, you can’t start hiking on impulse. Although it is considered to be an intuitive movement and activity, hiking will still require some sort of preparation. If you're not familiar with the area you're in, or have never hiked before, try and get to know someone that have, and get some guidance. This is for your own safety. Although the nature is a beautiful place, the mountains are not always a safe place to be when your unexperienced.

Roughly estimate how the terrains look like and the pace that will fit, use a map. Get a visual of the mountains and review the trail to get a sense and feel of the distance.

Consult with any online resources, forums, etc., as they can be of tremendous help. For example, you can spot intersecting trails to avoid making wrong turns or search out nice spots to take breaks.

- Keep an eye out for the weather

Monitor the weather forecast in the days leading up to your hike. The reason is that weather information helps you understand what to pack, how to dress, and what to expect. 

2. Dress for the hike

- Clothing

Use wool or a vegan version of wool as the innermost layer on your body. Wool will remain warm even if it gets wet. Also, even if you're hiking in a warmer climate, still use a t-shirt of wool because your sweat will make your clothes wet and the wool will keep you warm. Even if it's warm outside, if you only use cotton or any other fabric on the body, and you sweat, the colder winds high up in the mountains will make your freeze. Always have wool with you in your backpack. As for the other clothing items; Use whatever you feel is comfortable. Both a breathable jacket and pants that will shield for both wind and rain, will be the most optimal for hiking.

Cover up your ankles, wrists and head. These are the areas, when exposed to cold wind and rain that will make your hold body cold. If these areas stay warm, you're most likely to remain warm throughout your whole body.

Remember, use whatever you have available or borrow some from family, friends or neighbours. I'm a huge advocate for using what we already have, and not buying anything new or second hand before something is actually worn out or ruined.

Beyond what you need, pack an extra layer of clothing for emergencies.

- Shoes

Hiking shoes made for hiking are the best option. Try to avoid heavy hiking shoes as it can weigh you down. However, the most important thing is that it fits your feet, and that they are good to walk in for several hours.

I've always been an advocate for second-hand buying; Clothing, equipment, etc. However, shoes and security equipment is the only few thing I recommend not buying used as it can be flawed and damaged. Also, if someone has used a shoe and its worn and formed to their foot, it might be challenging to make the shoe fit your feet.

3. Equipment Preparedness

The quality and quantity of the gears you pack for the hike also go a long way to determine the hike's quality. Instead of cramming your backpack full of gears, certain items desire prominence since they are more functional than many. Besides, having too many items in your bag can weigh you down since the aim is to go faster, lighter and smarter. 

Although there are many things that you can take along, such as enough food and water, some other essentials include:

- Navigation

Maps, compass, altimeter, GPS devices, and extra batteries are something to consider to add to your backpack. Thanks to technology, devices like personal locator beacons allow you to find your way out of any hike that may be out of control. GPS, maps and compass are something that will make the hike more secure and safe if you know how to use it properly.

- Headlamps

Headlamps allow you to find your way in the dark. They are even more critical if you intend to climb on your hike. However, make sure that the lamp is waterproof. It will also help if it has night vision, so you don’t disturb animals that favour the night. Although I won't recommend hiking in the dark, they can become lifesaving if you actually get lost.

- First aid

You don’t know when an accident will occur. If it does not happen to you, it can happen to a fellow hiker. Hence, it will help if you include a first aid kit in your hiking pack. The kit should be handy, sturdy, compact, and should be waterproof. Check to make sure it includes bandages, gauze pads, antiseptic, skin closures, blister prevention, and bandages. It should also contain painkillers, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal prescriptions, topical antibacterial, and medication for allergic reactions. The idea is to pack as much as is needful without weighing yourself down.

4. Climbing

This perhaps unusual tip is for the advanced hiker. Once you've become accustomed to the life of a hiker, you might be tempted to try more challenging hikes. The more challenging routes might demand some type of climbing. Therefore it might be an idea to practise some climbing skills once you're ready for it. Climbing is not only for the advanced hikers. Climbing indoors or outdoors are super fun and a great way of building some general basic strength in both upper and lower body. Have fun with it!

5. Leave no trace

One final and, perhaps, an essential way to get better at your hike is to leave no trace. The "leave no trace" principle of hiking means not leaving a sign that you were ever on a hiking trail. Hence, it means not dropping litters nor confronting the animals. In all, it means not doing anything that will affect the ecological and environmental balance. Make sure you are an eco-friendly hiker.

Hiking is fun if you are prepared for it. The combined factors of physical and mental preparation will allow you to make the most out of it. Remember to leave the hiking ground the way you left it or better; pick some litter from the trails and bring it home.