Hiking 101

Hiking 101

 

As we get older we find that sore muscles aren’t something to laugh about, as we limp into work on Monday mornings. Do you love hiking but find that hiking doesn’t necessarily love you? Is it getting harder to reach the tranquil alpine lakes that seemed a mere walk in the woods in the ‘old days’?

 

The idea of conditioning or training if you like that term better isn’t new, but weekend athletes tend to ignore the concept and suffer greatly for days to come after a weekend outing.

 

If you love the out doors and plan to indulge fairly often, train for hiking just like you would for any other sport. Getting older doesn’t mean that you have to give up doing the things that you love, but it does mean that you need to spend a little more time getting yourself ready.

 

Follow the tips by Pam Roy in the Washington Trails Publication (May 2008) (www.wta.org). The author suggests a practical program for getting yourself in shape. Regular aerobic activity and a few sessions a week to focus on strength and flexibility can make a big difference when you get ready to face a lengthy elevation gain.

 

You know what cardiovascular exercises are already. Set up a program that includes running, fast walking or stair climbing to get you ready to reach that lake with less huffing and puffing. You can do this out doors or you can hit the gym to workout on the elliptical trainer, Stairmaster or a stationary bike. I wouldn’t be surprised if you admitted to having to stop at every switchback to catch your breath when you are out in the woods. Remember that you are working on endurance, so start out slowly and work up to a greater intensity. With hiking a steady pace is more important than sprinting.   You can practice walking around the neighborhood with a pack on your back. Include some hills and uneven train in your route and on weekends start with some ‘easy’ hikes. Build up gradually to the distance and elevation gain that you want to reach.

 

It takes strength to walk any distance carrying a backpack, especially if there is elevation gain involved.  Build core strength and leg muscle strength. You know the drill, we have been playing with lunges, step ups, heels down, squats, rows, push-ups, shoulder presses and biceps curls and the like since high school gymnastics. Thirty minutes twice a week and voila, you can do this!

 

Age brings lack of flexibility and balance issues so don’t forget to work on this too. The article recommends stretching at least three times a week, but I find that I need to stretch every morning of my life, just to get into a comfortable upright position. Yoga is a good way to do this, and it is also helpful for the dreaded balance issues. Slipping and falling down are not options for older hikers so do whatever is necessary to prepare yourself. The most important suggestion is the one that emphasizes keeping it fun. Let this be the season that finds you with a smile on your face, not only when you reach your goal, but the next day when getting out of bed is of paramount importance.

Comments

[home gym equipment]

I like the river boat gym idea. A more basic idea that might work though would be hooking dynamo’s up to all the eliptical, treadmill, and byclces at the gym and harnessing that electrical power for use by the gym. I would totally get a membership if the River boat gym every opens a location on Ladybird lake and would definitely try to run over the crew teams. haha no hard feelings crew members

[Jeremy Reeves]

I love hiking. One of my favorite things to do is actually sprint up hills. I get a lot of stares haha!

Jeremy Reeves
http://www.fitness-product-reviews.com