exercise to help hiking

[Double Bow]

I've got two mantras when it comes to hiking: "Nothing prepares you for hiking like hiking." and "I'll only run if something's chasing me!"

I'm a bit unorthodox. My primary form of training is hiking every weekend (usually both days). When prepping for backpacking, I dayhike with a heavy load. I go to the gym 1-2 times a week and do both weight and cardio training there. At home, I do pushups, curls, and a stepper randomly. I also take my dog for walks. At work, I walk for about half an hour during my lunch break and do leg extensions, foot rotations, slow leg curls, etc. at my desk.

Additionally, I work in balance training throughout the day. I'll stand on one foot in the shower, filling my water bottle or wherever. I also do walking lunges in an empty hallway at work, a few squats here and there and other little things when no one is around... Did I mention that I'm a bit unorthodox?

 

[Neil]

I think trail running in a local state park works the best - terrain varies, up hills, downhills, etc.. I am way more wasted after doing 5 miles of that than 10 miles of road running.

Last winter I switched from flat road running to hill training and long (250 steps)stairways. My weekly winter hikes (steep bushwhacks) became a LOT easier. Flatland running has to help with endurance but there's nothing that beats specificity training.

 

[Jay H]

You must be an awesome downclimber! Biking builds quads!

Works good uphills too! I think what is better is the conditioning to the lungs, you get more efficient putting the oxygen to use and used to putting out a lot of energy/watts for extended periods of time so it builds endurance. My friend of mine sent me a Topo! profile of my ride home, I do about 950ft of climbing over the 11 miles home everyday, including one short 1/4 mile pitch where the grade is about 10% I think. I still do that in the 42 chainring but it's tough sometimes when I'm tired from work.


The 950ft of climbing does mean that going TO work is mostly downhill. I can hit 45mph on that hill coasting.
Jay

 

[Mike P.]

This year I do some stationary biking for warm ups & then either jog or hit the treadmill during lunch at the Y. Some walking around the park or the block at home (.85 each lap) or at the rail trail where I'll mix jogging & walking.

On the treadmill at home which is not good enough for 200 pounders to jog, I'll vary the incline & wear an old pack filled with weight.

Don't do the strength training much these days but that is a big help too.

Hiking is the best warm up for hiking though, day to day activities just make that hard.

 

[arghman]

Certainly aerobic training is essential (treadmill, elliptical, bike, run, walk), but I'd like to put in a word for strength training too. In particular, use a leg extension and/or leg press machine (or do squats with weights) so that your leg muscles experience the eccentric contractions involved in lowering your weight rather than just raising it. This will help you when you're coming down the mountain. It's one thing that treadmills, ellipticals and bikes just don't get. Running and walking downhill will help too.

when I had knee trouble a few yrs back my phys. therapist had me do stepups/stepdowns. You stand on a staircase, go to walk up the next step but keep one foot on the previous step, then change your mind and bring the second foot back. repeat 20 times x 4 (left foot heading up, right foot heading up, left foot heading down, right foot heading down).

I did it twice a day & it really seemed to help me fill in the gaps between hiking.

 

[Paradox]

Well we certainly seem to have several good solutions to solving the same problem. A combination of cardio and strength training is probably best. I do not agree that hiking is the best way to get in shape for hiking, particularly if time is an issue. I work out 5 to 6 mornings a week for an hour, before work in the basement. I get up a 4:15 am. because I start work at 6:45 am. I have a Bowflex, an eliptical trainer, and perhaps 15 pairs of dumbells. I change things up alot, but I do a variety of squats 2x a week. Squats on the bowflex (which seem safer than with a barbell), lunge squats (IMHO are the best for hiking) and jump squats (which are grueling). Running is probably very good, and I enjoy running, but it beats me up. I run only once or twice a month.

 

[Roxi]

I agree that to get in better shape for hiking, you have to hike. But I also find that cycling and hiking compliment each other, although I think hiking actually helps my cycling more than cycling helps my hiking. I usually keep in cycling shape during the winter by riding the trainer in my basement. This past winter I spent more time hiking nearby in the Monadnocks, and less time on the bike trainer. Come March, my cycling outdoors had a better start in terms of both speed and distance than in previous years. So did my hiking in the Whites this spring. Next winter, I'll continue hiking in the Monadnocks as the improvement this spring in both activities was noticeable.

 

[Brien]

I have to say that reading Band and Yes lyrics on the same page does my heart good. They are my two favorite groups.

 

[frytz]

Excerise to help hiking!

I agree that to get in better shape for hiking, you have to hike.

I find hiking seven days a week keeps me in shape to hike everyday (and vica versa)!


Fred

 

[Roxi]

I find hiking seven days a week keeps me in shape to hike everyday (and vica versa)!


Fred

I envy your workout schedule, Fred! I need a job that pays me to hike and bicycle. Any companies want to pay me to test equipment, clothes, boots, bikes, etc.? Wishfully thinking.....

 

[Davehiker]

Climb stairs...lots of stairs!

 

[trailbiscuit]

Read VFTT!
With all the exercise going on here, I think I just dropped 5 pounds.

 

[chipc]

I have to say that reading Band and Yes lyrics on the same page does my heart good. They are my two favorite groups.

Yes, both great groups - but if Timmus would reply to this thread we'd have lyrics from a group much more suited for aerobic training!

 

[DaveSunRa]

Just have to spend three months at Camp Lejeune, N.C. After-which hiking will be a breeze.

 

[Lawn Sale]

I found that the stairmaster was a great help, but make sure you get on it backwards as well, helps a lot going down hills.

Today I weight train my upper body, run and cycle my lower, but I haven't been in the woods since April.

 

[Adk_dib]

stair stepper. I work in a 5 story building, so I walk the steps on rainy days when I am not in a hurry to get home. simulates climbing grades pretty good.
At home my back patio is about 1 and 1/2 feet high. I load up my backpack and step up-step down, step up-step down ........... funny thin, after all that climbing the view stays the same

 

[jjo]

When I was a younger guy, I used to run 3 X week 3-4 miles and played tons of BB and tennis. I also hiked every chance I could. Into my mid-late fifties, I was always leading the pack and often had to stop for the other (younger people) to catch up..BUT, eventually it catches up to you and now I have a troublesome knee. I'm optimisic but it is holding me back. My "old guy" advice is exercise, do your stretching and be sensible. In all my early activities, I did very little stretching. My PT tells me my hamstrings now are tight as a drum (not good). Enjoy your youth but be prudent and prepare for the future or you'll be reading this site from a rockin chair instead of being on the trail...

 

[WhiteMTHike]

Spinning, weights, more Spinning.

 

[skidoc22]

Certainly aerobic training is essential (treadmill, elliptical, bike, run, walk), but I'd like to put in a word for strength training too. In particular, use a leg extension and/or leg press machine (or do squats with weights) so that your leg muscles experience the eccentric contractions involved in lowering your weight rather than just raising it. This will help you when you're coming down the mountain. It's one thing that treadmills, ellipticals and bikes just don't get. Running and walking downhill will help too.

Try the elliptical pedaling backward for eccentric training - I think it is much like descending, maybe moreso than the reverse stairclimber.

 

[Paradox]

I just got back from a stay in a Boston hotel that had several stair steppers in their fitness room. I can say that turning around and simulating a descent on one of these became exhausting in very short order. It was much tougher than spinning backwards on my elliptical trainer. I am going to look into getting one for the winter. I did not take up much room either.