How To Improve Your Cardio For Hiking
Why You Should Train For Hiking
Hiking is typically viewed as a nice relaxing stroll through the woods, so why would you need to train for it? Yes there are a lot of hiking trails where you’re taking a nice walk through the woods, and yes training for them would be overkill, but there are plenty of trails that involve hiking 10 plus miles with over three thousand feet of elevation gain, and unfortunately those trails lead to some of the best views in the world. So if you want to see the best that nature has to offer then you’re gonna have to be physically prepared.
Hiking up steep inclines with a heavy pack in high altitude will make you feel like your heart is gonna burst out of your chest, so when preparing for a strenuous hiking trip, you’re gonna wanna place a lot of emphasis on strengthening your cardiovascular system, but which cardio exercise is the best to get you in shape for hiking?
Cardio Exercises For Hiking
I prefer exercises that have greater carry-over to hiking, so while bike riding and cycling can get you winded, it’s not as beneficial for hiking as the exercises I’ve listed below. Ultimately you want to choose an exercise that you enjoy doing because if you enjoy it, then there’s a better chance you’ll stick with it long term. So let’s go over my recommendations for the best cardio exercises to get you in shape for hiking.
Hiking
Shouldn’t be a surprise that hiking is one of my recommendations. If you want to get in better shape for hiking, then going hiking is one of your best options. There are plenty of trails out there with varying difficulties, so you can start by hiking an easy trail once or twice a week and progressing to strenuous trails as you get in better shape. The only issue with using hiking as your only form of exercise is that it’s not as convenient as the other options on this list.
If you have limited options when it comes to nearby trails, then you can also spice it up by doing loaded pack hikes, or timed hikes as a way to progressively make old trails more challenging.
Using hiking as a cardio workout also gives you more experience on the trail, which is extremely valuable for any hiker.
Running
Running is a controversial exercise in fitness, and I could do a whole post just on running, but I’ll try to keep it short and sweet. I think that running is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to increase your heart rate, but the high impact nature of running makes it more of a risk for certain people. If you’re overweight or have joint problems then I would avoid running. If you’re not overweight and don’t have joint problems, then I’d giving it a shot and see if you enjoy it. If you do, then make sure to follow these tips:
Shoes- Invest in running shoes that are fitted for your pronation (the way your foot makes contact with the ground when walking/running). This is the easiest way to prevent injuries.
Pace yourself- Start off running shorter distances and slowly progress to longer distances. You don’t have to a run a marathon on your first workout.
Manage recovery- Running is high impact, so you’ll possibly get injured if you do long runs every single day. Running 2-4 days a week with varying distances and speeds is perfect.
Walking
Walking is the easiest way to get in shape for hiking. You can do it anywhere, and it’s low impact so you can do it almost every day without worry of injury. My only issue with walking is can be too easy and won’t prepare you for strenuous hikes. Majority of trails are uneven and involve long stretches of incline walking, so walking a couple miles a day on a flat sidewalk won’t properly prepare you; you’re gonna have to spice it up and make it more strenuous.
Here are several ways to make walking harder:
Walk for longer distances- Increase the distance of your walks every week.
Walk at a faster pace- Time your walks and aim to finish in a faster time.
Incline walking- Walking on an incline treadmill is one of the best ways to prepare for hikes because the hardest sections of trails are the steep inclines. If you don’t have access to a treadmill then finding a local hill is a great alternative.
Weighted pack walks- Walking with a loaded pack is a great way to simultaneously make walking harder, and to get used to carrying your pack.
Stairclimbing
The most popular way to prepare for hiking is stairclimbing. It’s difficult and it replicates the most strenuous parts of hiking, walking up inclines. The only problem with stairclimbing is you need stairs. Finding a gym with a stair climber will be the best option because you won’t have to worry about weather, and you can climb for as long as you want.
Final Thoughts
I believe that hiking should be a fun experience, and you can’t have fun if you can’t breathe. Anything that gets your heart rate up is better than nothing, but you want to choose a cardio exercise that will not only make hiking easier, but that you enjoy.
Good luck, and happy trails!
About Author
Zach Helzer
Zach Helzer is a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach who founded Trailhead Fitness to help hikers, backpackers, and mountaineers get strong, confident, and pain free so they can crush their next outdoor adventure.