By Kannyeke Kenneth Caldwell
To remind you, hiking is a serious trail sport that requires one to prepare and physically train well. It is dangerous to wake up on the D day to go for hiking without physical training. Many hikers do not regard them selves and may be unknowingly that they are athletes. Let's see how we can help our selves build a strong core that will take us through our hiking events/trips and enhance our wellness and fitness.
Take the stairs. This is important not only to build your cardiovascular endurance but it will help you also strengthen your quads.
Plan on walking at least 3 times a week. Vary your routes, speed and distance and be sure to include a long distance walk during the week. Consider the hilliest routes in your area. Also, bring your back pack with you so that you get accustomed to carrying weight with you. You can add more weight each week.
Build your core. Often, this is overlooked. Having a strong core (not basically the six packs abs) will help you more than you think. When carrying a heavy back pack and as fatigue hits in, a strong core will help you to get up to the mountain top.
More so, it is also vital that you pull out your hiking boots if not the same boots you will use for your hiking event/s or trip and wear them. If planning to get new ones, it is the time to break in them. You will be able to also determine how suitable they will be.
Considering what time you have in hand before your event, add the following routines to your weekly walks. It is however much better to start a hiking training not less than a month before the trip. Any time above that, is a good one.
Being our wheels, legs are very substantial for hiking. Leg strength is therefore a thing to not to forget. Add a good recipe of;
Glute bridges, reverse lunges, lunge walks (and don't forget to balance the reps for each leg), squats, steps up by also balancing the reps, sides lunges and many more. Some of these are more effective when done with some weights, hit the gym of you can.
Strength training for your core (very much good for hikers). Core strength is the foundation and without it, we would crumble foward. Get some overhead reaches, side planks, supermans, pushups, power and sumo jumps, burpees and many more.
Strength training for the upper body. We also consider the chest and shoulders as very important spare parts to take care of, they need strength building too. Consider doing; cat cows, shouder retractions, wall angles, push ups, pike push ups plus many others.
You can also include hit cardio routines and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) which are considered to be full body workouts which also build your body core nose to toe. Grab it!
Through your hiking preparations, you should consider to take time to rest and stretch not for getting the major muscles that carry more load than others such as; glutes, hamstrings, back, and biceps.
Muscle tightens can lead to imbalance and untimely injuries. Be sure to include at least a complete day of total rest so as not over train your body so that you recharged and regenerate energy.
Be sure to choose the right back pack for your body type and the type of hike you will be doing.
That, hikers are regarded as athletes, strong core muscles are substantial. Doing trail feats like hiking with weak muscles is a no go zone. This will lead to extreme fatigue, injuries such as lower back pains, torn tendons, ligaments and other muscles and joint pains. Can also lead to poor posture. Have you ever seen someone walking like a falling trailer with a merchadise container on it?
The pelvis, lower back, hips, biceps and abdominal muscles, to mention some must all work together to better balance and stability, and more so enhance our fitness and minimize injuries.
The writer is a trained fitness and wellness coach and an ultra athlete.
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