Hiking Exercise
A Fun Fitness Training Program
Hiking is a fun way to exercise and burn
calories – particularly if you’re bored with walking
or jogging. Distance, terrain and weather
conditions can make a hike challenging, so few hikers worry about speed.
Hiking a mile on a trail isn’t the same as walking the same distance
on flat ground – we burn far more calories hiking than walking.
How Hiking Helps Weight Loss
We burn more calories by hiking than by walking,
since climbing hills or walking on uneven terrain takes more energy. If
you carry a pack, the extra pounds in weight helps increase the rate at
which we burn fat (as you need extra energy). Hiking works the quadriceps,
hamstrings, thighs, hips and butt.
How Many Calories Does Hiking Burn?
30 minutes of hiking burns about 250 calories.
[This is based on a 150-pound woman. If you weigh more, you’ll burn
extra calories; if you weigh less, you’ll burn fewer calories.]
How Often Should I Hike For Optimum Weight
Loss?
Obviously it's much less convenient to hike
than to jump on a treadmill. So these hiking recommendations are included
mainly for comparitive purposes.
Beginner
20 – 30 minutes of hiking on a trail or beach, 3 times a week
Medium
40 minutes of hiking, 5 days a week – plus one hour at the weekend
Advanced
2-4 hours of longer hikes on rocky terrain
Hiking - How To Start
Practice walking down stairs, to familiarize
the joints, quadriceps and knees with the movements used when hiking down
hill. Take a backpack with you to the shops and become used to carrying
weight on your back. Pay attention to guidebook estimates of how long
a trail is, the elevation gained and the distances involved. Generally
allow one hour for every 1.5 miles of trail, plus 30 minutes for
each 1,000 feet ascended.
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