Get in Shape for that Big Hiking Trip by Following my Training Plan – How to Train For a Hike – Easily Build Strength and Get in Shape for a Multi-Day Hiking Trip!

I would say the vast amount of “hikers” out there do it fairly leisurely. They go about it when they can and usually don’t drive more than 30 minutes out of their comfort zone to their favorite spot. I used to be a casual hiker and there’s of course nothing wrong with it. Enjoy life while you can!

This article however is going to be geared to those who want to step up their game a bit (pun slightly intended) and genuinely want to know how to train for a long hike, a tough one. It’ll be for those who want to set their hiking goals a little higher and a little farther. I’m not a personal trainer by any means or dietician so these tips will be coming from my personal experiences and what I’ve found to work for me as well as others.

I absolutely love hiking and backpacking. To me, it’s the best way to experience nature, exercise your body, and get away from the modern world. You can learn a lot about yourself while you’re out on a trail with nobody or nothing within miles (or kilometers) except the birds, bees, rivers, and trees.

The more you do it, the more you’ll want to do it and the more you’ll want to challenge yourself. That means venturing deeper into the wilderness. To do so, you’ll need to get stronger at certain things. Embarking on a challenging hike requires more than just enthusiasm. It demands physical preparation, mental fortitude, and strategic planning.

In this article, I’ll suggest some steps you can take that might help you improve your overall hiking experience and capabilities. I’ll cover everything from pre-training considerations to specific exercises, nutrition, and gear recommendations as well as how to prepare your mind for that demanding trail. Hopefully after you’ve finished, you’ll feel like you have the knowledge to conquer anything and everything. Let’s go!!!

Pre-Training Considerations:

Most people assume that training for a hike is all about the exercises you do and what you do physically to get your body into shape. We’ll get there but before we do, let’s consider and review several other factors that should be mentioned. These can make or break your next adventure so don’t skip them!

1. Knowing Your Trail:

Before you take your first step, you should do a bit of research. You’re going to need to know the trail’s elevation gain, distance, and terrain at the bare minimum as well as basic terminology. You can go down quite the rabbit hole researching hiking trails but, for now, ask yourself these important questions –

• Which type of trail will I be navigating?
• What’s the difficulty level of the trail?
• Are there any resources at my disposal that give specific insight on where I’m going?
• How long will it take for me to complete the trail or hike?

The other big concern is the weather. When I was just getting out on the trails I use to get stuck in downpours all the time that seemingly came out of nowhere, and I didn’t bring a rain jacket. You can imagine how uncomfortable it was. You really need to understand the climate and weather conditions of the trail beforehand if you want to have an enjoyable experience. Here are set of common questions you should be thinking about –

• What is the forecast? Is there a chance for rain or storms?
• How hot or cold is it going to be for this time of year?
• What is the UV index?
• Will it be foggy or have low visibility?
• Will it be exceptionally windy or will I experience other types of extreme weather conditions?

Don’t underestimate the value of doing a little bit of research. You should know exactly what you’ll be walking into!

2. Assessing Your Fitness Level:

Another thing you should do before you start asking yourself how to train for a hike is to know where you’re at now. In order to improve, we need to know what to improve on right? Be honest! You don’t want to run out of breath or be on the verge of quitting in a potentially dangerous situation. There are too many stories of seasoned hikers getting lost in the woods and not coming back. So before you go, test the levels of your –

Pacing: Go for a brisk walk, run, or bike ride and assess how long you can sustain the effort without feeling overly fatigued. This will give you a nice baseline that you can use to compare your future progress to.

Talking: Go for a walk or run with a partner and try to hold a conversation while you do so. If you can comfortably have a nice exchange while exercising, your endurance is likely in good shape but if you are struggling to breathe or think for that matter then you’ll need to focus on some cardio exercises in the future.

Bodyweight Strength: Start with squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks and see how many you can do before you need to stop. Are you surprised at the number? If you haven’t trained for a while, you might have lost some strength and this can come into play, especially with what you’ll be carrying on the trail.

Balance: The more difficult the trails, the more balance is required. One wrong step can be disastrous. In order to test this, stand on one leg for 30 seconds to a minute without falling or needing to grab on to something. Repeat on the other leg. How well did you do? If not too well, definitely look to improve on this.

Flexibility: The last thing you want to do is pull a muscle in the middle of nowhere so let’s see how limber you really are. Sit on the floor with legs extended and try to touch your toes. Did you do it? How difficult was it? If you struggled, then you’ll need to incorporate some forms of stretching into a daily regimen. For added difficulty try yoga poses like Downward Dog or Cobra.

Incline Endurance: Most, if not all, difficult trails have some sort of steep elevation gain so you’re going to need to know how well you handle steep ascents. Find a hill, or use a treadmill with an incline, to simulate an angled climb and see how well you do. If, as the kids say, the struggle is real, then you know this is an area that needs improvement.

Elevation Exposure: When I was on the Salkantay Trail in Peru, we went up to 15,000 feet (4600 meters) and boy did I feel it! If a future hike of yours involves significant elevation gain, you should also consider your tolerance to altitude. Shortness of breath and dizziness are common signs that you’ll need to put in extra training in order to avoid a future bout of altitude sickness.

Backpack Training: Last but not least, you’re going to need to know how well you carry a load on your back. 20 lbs now will feel like 40 lbs later. Grab a backpack and pack it with gear to simulate the weight you’ll be carrying during your future trek. How does it feel and how far can you go? If it’s too much too soon, then jot this down in your list of “What to Improve On” and go from there.

And of course you should always consider any pre-existing health conditions that you may have. If needed, consult a healthcare professional for advice on future trips.

3. Set Training Goals:

After you’ve done most, if not all, of the fitness assessments I just laid out, you should have a great idea on the problem areas that need improvement. What are your goals? Define them and lay out a plan to achieve them. Whether it’s conquering steep ascents, building better endurance, acclimating to higher altitudes or carrying more weight, you’ll need to know exactly what you want to attain.

Exercise Training Program

Now let’s get to the fun part! Exercising! The important stuff when you want to learn how to train for a hike. I’ll break it down into four parts: Cardio, Strength, Balance/Stability, and Flexibility. The four tenants of physical activity. Everybody is different so I can’t give a completely custom workout program, but I can give general tips that you can use to lay out a workout program for yourself.

4. Cardio and Endurance:

Go For a Brisk Walk: Start your aerobic journey by going for a walk 3-4 times per week and see how you do. Each session should last at least 20-30 minutes. Once that’s a piece of cake increase the time to 45-60 minutes. You should be walking fast enough that your heart rate increases and you break a sweat. A simple stroll through the park won’t do.

Running or Jogging: I like to actually incorporate running and jogging with my walking to form more of a interval type of training but that’s just me. Try to run for 20-30 minutes twice per week without stopping. You don’t need to go go fast, but you need to form a pace that you can sustain the entire time. It could be as slow as a turtle, just as long as you don’t stop. You’ll be able to increase the speed soon enough. Just work on your pacing.

Cycling: If you can, go out for a 30-45 minute ride twice per week. Cycling is a great way to improve your endurance, especially when it comes to your legs and lower body. It’s also better in improving your stamina since you can go longer at a higher intensity without needing to rest due to the lower stress and impact on your bones and joints. Start with an easy flat route and work your way up to bigger and better hills that simulate varied hiking conditions.

Hiking Simulation on Treadmill: Not everybody has access to a treadmill but if you do, try and jump on it 2-3 times per week for a minimum of 15 minutes at a descent incline. You should be starting to sweat and fairly out of breath within 3 minutes, if not it’s set too easily. Increase the speed and incline level each week and you should feel a noticeable difference. If you don’t have access to a treadmill, find a set of stairs and do the same.

5. Strength Training:

Squats: This is a great bodyweight exercise that anybody can do. Simply stand with feet shoulder-width apart and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Aim for 3 sets of 12-15 reps and work your way up from there. If you haven’t done them in a while, be prepared for pain the next da