Name: How to Train for a Hike: The Ultimate Plan
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How to Train for a Hike: The Ultimate Plan

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Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclaimer here.&nbsp;Learning how to train for a hike will give you so much confidence on the trail. But not all training is equal. When it comes to hiking, you want a program that’s going to build endurance and strengthen your body against the most common injuries on the trail… which means we need more than a handful of leg exercises. We’ll show you exactly what to do in this post. Let’s get started!This post is in collaboration with Paul Longworth.&nbsp;Paul is an athletic trainer, hiker, and the owner of PR Health. His focus is on keeping athletes healthy and injury free on the trail. The tips here go beyond the typical advice of air squats and lunges.Have you ever gone out on a hike to get some fresh air, decompress, and enjoy nature only&nbsp;to get out there and&nbsp;trudge&nbsp;up a trail staring at your feet and wondering “What&nbsp;did I get myself into?” I know I have!Hiking can be intense, and this is the exact reason why we should prepare our minds&nbsp;and body for the outdoors!&nbsp;When we go out for a hike, we want it to be a relaxing, fun, and restorative time. Of course, it will still be a workout, but that workout can either be soul-crushing or soul-restoring depending on if we’re physically prepared or not.&nbsp;The biggest benefit of training for a hike is knowing that you’re physically and mentally ready for the challenge. When you go on a hike trained and ready to go, you can fully enjoy what nature has to offer!&nbsp;You can focus on the sights, sounds, and smells of the mountains instead of gasping for air wondering what the heck you’re doing up there.&nbsp;The second, and arguably most important reason to train for hikes is to reduce the risk of injury on the trail.&nbsp;The great outdoors is rugged and unpredictable. Changing surfaces from stone to sand, tree roots, mixed elevations, and loose rocks all become trip and slip hazards!&nbsp;Compound that with the fact that we are significantly more likely to trip and get hurt while physically fatigued, and now you have a perfect recipe for ankle, knee, hip, and low back injuries.&nbsp;With all that, you might be thinking – how do I prevent it? You guessed it! TRAINING FOR YOUR HIKES!&nbsp;A good hiking program should have “Prehab” movements in it to strengthen your body against the most common injuries in the sport or activity that you’re doing! It’s not just a handful of leg exercises.&nbsp;So with all this, let’s dive into how to train for a hike starting by assessing the actual hike you’re going on.&nbsp;Before you begin any hike, you want to research the hike and know some of the basics such as the distance, the type of terrain, elevation gain, and starting and ending elevations. This will give you a better idea of what intensity to expect and how difficult the hike will be for you.&nbsp;It’s not enough to just know the distance of your hike. A flat 2-mile hike will be totally different than a 2-mile hike with 2,000 ft of elevation gain.&nbsp;In addition, the elevation of your hike will make a big difference too. For example, a hike at sea level will be easier than the same hike at 10,000 feet.&nbsp;In general, the longer and higher you climb, the more challenging the hike and the more you can benefit from proper training.&nbsp;You also want to take into account your current fitness level. The more hikes you train for and go on, the better you’ll be able to assess a hike.To really understand what you should focus on in your training, start by asking yourself these three questions:&nbsp;With hiking, we know the legs are being used a lot, but we tend to ignore the fact that due to carrying a backpack, our&nbsp;shoulders and core are being challenged way more than we would assume.&nbsp;Another piece of the puzzle that’s usually overlooked is single-leg strength and hip stability drills.&nbsp;If we only focus on the bigger muscles like the quads, glute max, and hamstrings, but ignore our stabilizers and deep muscles, we are setting ourselves up for injuries and early muscular fatigue on the trail.&nbsp;Think about it like having a&nbsp;car with a lot of horsepower, but a weak chassis. It might look and sound great, but it’s going to break as soon as you really put it to the test!&nbsp;Here are some great exercises for hikers to incorporate into your routine. We’ll dive into some of these movements in more detail below, so keep reading!&nbsp;When it comes to a good hiking training plan, the next question to consider is:&nbsp;Our body runs off of three energy systems. Think of these energy systems as fuel to be used during a workout.&nbsp;We can burn ATP (anaerobic), carbs (glycolytic), or fat (aerobic) depending on the intensity of the sport, activity, or workout:In any training program, we want to focus the majority of our efforts on training the systems that we’ll be using the most.&nbsp;For hiking, we’re looking at training the glycolytic and aerobic system the most, but still spending some of our time training anaerobically to build the muscles to make the work easier!&nbsp;The last question to consider when choosing a training program is:&nbsp;We all have that one muscle that gives up on us&nbsp;the quickest! Personally, I know my hamstrings&nbsp;are going to give out&nbsp;LONG before my quads ever&nbsp;will! And after a long hike, I can pretty much guarantee my calves are going to be feeling it!This&nbsp;tells me that I need to find a program that supplements the areas&nbsp;I know are a little weaker for me. &nbsp;Certain workouts, like hiking, will generally fatigue the same muscles on everyone, but it’s always nice to know where you personally need to put in a little extra&nbsp;effort and attention!&nbsp;Now that we have an overview of what makes a good training program for hikers, let’s dive into some of the specific exercises that you can do to build strength,&nbsp;endurance, and prevent injury.&nbsp;Strength training is an important part of training. Building muscle will support every area of life and make all those steep climbs up a mountain easier.&nbsp;Note: We provide a range of sets and reps for each exercise. In general, for newer athletes, do less sets with higher reps. More experienced athletes do more sets with less reps. Here are my top 3 leg exercises for hikers to focus on:Single-leg strength work is so important for hikers. These split squats will definitely get the legs burning!How to do it:Squats are a classic for a reason!How to do it: This last leg exercise for hikers is one of the most important for preventing injury on the trail. And don’t be fooled – this may look easy, but trust me, it’s not!How to do it: When we think of hiking, we most often think of training our legs, but don’t underestimate the effect that carrying a heavy backpack for hours has on your back, shoulders, and hips!&nbsp;Strengthening the upper body and core is also important.&nbsp;Here are some great exercises to focus on:&nbsp;How to do it: How to do it: How to do it: Building strength for hikes is important, but all the muscles in the world won’t help you if you don’t have an engine!Endurance is the ability to continue on with an exercise for hours to come, and this is a priority whether you’re day hiking or on a multi-day backpacking trip.Fortunately, this is usually the part that’s more fun if you are a hiker. How do we train this? GO HIKE! Put on a backpack and get out there! It can be in the mountains, around the park, or even just down the street.Building those&nbsp;“hours in the saddle” is&nbsp;vitally important, not only to build your lung capacity but also to train your shoulders and hips to support your backpack.&nbsp;PRO TIP &gt;&gt; Try walking&nbsp;while breathing only through your nose. This can help to strengthen the diaphragm, allowing you to breathe deeper, increase red blood cell count, and&nbsp;mimic&nbsp;high-altitude training without going to the mountains. Walk or hike as fast as you can without opening your mouth. If you have to open it, then slow down a bit.&nbsp;Mobility is often an overlooked part of training, but recovery sessions can be just as important as our actual training sessions.&nbsp;Along with knowing which exercises to do, we also need&nbsp;a plan in place to recover. This includes mobility and active recovery like yoga, foam rolling, and other forms of self or assisted bodywork.&nbsp;This is also a great time to work on stability, balance, and kinesthetic awareness to help us prevent injuries and continue to do the things we love for years to come!Our HikerFit Training Program comes with a complete mobility protocol, but&nbsp;if you’re not a part of our program, here are a few ways that you can incorporate more recovery into your routine:&nbsp;Below are some great stretches for hikers that you can incorporate into your workout cool-down or do while you’re watching TV.This is a wonderful hip stretch that can be as deep as you want. There are several variations.How to do it: A simple seated forward fold is a great way to calm the mind and stretch the entire back side of the body from the feet to the neck.How to do it:It’s called the World’s Greatest Stretch for a reason!How to do it: The best program in the world won’t work if you don’t have time to do it! It’s important to be realistic about how much time you’ll have to spend on training.&nbsp;Working out 3 days a week will get you some results if you are currently doing no training at all, but 5 days a week of a diverse program will get you to the top of the fitness mountain much quicker!&nbsp;You should start training for a hike or backpacking trip about 6 to 8 weeks in advance. This is plenty of time to make some real physiological adaptations, but also enough time to plan every important detail of your trip!Big hikes generally aren’t a spur-of-the-moment decision and many hikes nowadays also require a permit, which usually needs to be secured in advance.Ideally, plan and start training at least 6 to 8 weeks ahead of your trip.At higher elevations, the combination of decreasing oxygen levels and decreasing atmospheric pressures can cause high-altitude illnesses such as Acute Mountain Sickness, High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), and High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE).&nbsp;Most cases of altitude sickness are seen at elevations above 8,000 feet (2,400 meters), but it has been observed at lower elevations.&nbsp;Everyone is susceptible to altitude sickness, but it varies from person to person and to&nbsp;unpredictable degrees. Acclimatization does not preclude altitude sickness and it’s not related to a person’s fitness level.&nbsp;Hydration, rest,&nbsp;nutrition, and ascending gradually&nbsp;are all really important in helping to prevent high-altitude illnesses.&nbsp;Some signs and symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) are headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, and disturbed sleep. AMS can progress to the more severe HACE and HAPE which are life-threatening.&nbsp;Pay attention to your symptoms and take extra caution when hiking at high elevations. If experiencing symptoms, descend&nbsp;in elevation!&nbsp;As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into a good training plan for hikers. From strength building to endurance to mobility and recovery, every piece is important for feeling your best on the trail and preventing injury.&nbsp;That’s why we have created the HikerFit Training Program! This is a 7-week program designed to get you ready for your next hike. It even includes a personalized ruck schedule for the specific hike that you want to train for!Nutrition for a big hike should start well before you hit the trail!&nbsp;My rule of thumb is nutrition should start a day before you start the hike for each day you will be hiking.&nbsp;For example, if you’re going on a one-day hike, you start focusing on food and water loading one day before.For a two-day hike, start two days before, up&nbsp;to three days. Any trips longer than that and we should stick to the three days.&nbsp;At this time we need to be upping three important ingredients: water, electrolytes, and carbohydrates. We know that we sweat more during exercise, especially when we’re outside in the sun!&nbsp;This is why we need to make sure our water and electrolyte (salt) levels are nice and high before going out.&nbsp;The day&nbsp;before a hike, I like to make sure that I’m drinking a gallon to 1.5 gallons of water a day. For smaller individuals, 0.75 gallons will do the trick! With this water, I also like to add some sort of electrolyte to it.Here are some great electrolyte options: With the carbs, I like to add in 100-200g more carbs than I usually&nbsp;consume leading up to a hike. This helps to top off the stored carbs in our muscles called glycogen.While on the hike, it’s important to stop regularly to eat and drink. I also pack electrolytes on the trail to make sure I’m staying hydrated.&nbsp;Many of us get so excited while on the trail that we may forget to eat and drink until it’s too late. If you wait until you’re hungry or thirsty, you have already waited too long, and your output is going to start to decrease.&nbsp;Stop regularly, take a bite and a swig of water, and give yourself a minute to take in your surroundings and how far you have come!Remember that&nbsp;we go outside to enjoy the outdoors. Take time to notice what’s around you on the trail!&nbsp;Great homemade snack ideas for hikers: One of the best things about hiking is it pushes us physically, but it also pushes us mentally. Mental strength is just as important as our physical strength.&nbsp;Mental toughness can&nbsp;help us overcome difficult situations in life.&nbsp;When we commit to training for our hikes and pushing ourselves in the gym, we’re also building mental strength that carries over into every area of life, including on the trail.&nbsp;One of the simplest ways to start to build mental strength is to do hard things every day. For example, take a cold shower, do a max-length breath hold, or get through one of our HikerFit workouts!The type of struggle doesn’t matter, but getting through it builds confidence, strength, and it’s something to be proud of every day. You will be a better hiker because of it.&nbsp;Which exercises or tips will you be implementing first? Please comment below and let us know!And if you want a done-for-you training plan specifically for hikers, we would love to have you join us in our HikerFit Training Program. This program covers strength, endurance, and mobility so that you can feel your absolute best on the trail! I'm AmandaIf you want to learn about camp cooking, hiking, and USA travel, you’re in the right place! I currently live in Utah and love desert slot canyons, the smell of fresh sage, and campfire cooking. Read more... one-pot camp meals camping 101 hiking tips

Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclaimer here.&nbsp;Learning how to train for a hike will give you so much confidence on the trail. But not all training is equal. When it comes to hiking, you want a program that’s going to build endurance and strengthen your body against the most common injuries on the trail… which means we need more than a handful of leg exercises. We’ll show you exactly what to do in this post. Let’s get started!This post is in collaboration with Paul Longworth.&nbsp;Paul is an athletic trainer, hiker, and the owner of PR Health. His...

How to Train for a Hike: The Ultimate Plan

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