On Saturday, I met my workout buddy, Darlene, for a group spin class at the Federal Way Community Center. Darlene is also a two-time participant in their Biggest Loser program; we met during the first one. I don't think we'd had a conversation longer than two sentences until the halfway point of the competition, when we figured out we were #1 and #2 in the standings for percentage weight lost. From then on, we had our competitive streaks going full steam, so we kept pushing each other, letting the other know our latest weights and making time for additional workouts. There was also a bit of lighthearted trash talk going on! The two days before and even the morning of the last weigh-in, we spent ridiculous amounts of time working out and trying to shed water weight in the sauna. In the end, Darlene finished first and I finished second, but we both won -- we gained a workout buddy to keep up a weekly workout plan and stay on the path. I wish each of you a good friend or relative to hold you "accountable" in staying fit and healthy -- it makes all the difference.
Because of the cumulative nature of the hikes offered in CHS for both pacing groups, it’s very important that all participants (and hike leaders), regardless of initial conditioning, find activities during the week and on the off-hiking weekends to build and/or keep their fitness level up. Although some naturally hardy folks can keep up with these hikes without doing any outside conditioning, they are the exception and not the rule. Most people who do long-distance dayhikes find that they must additionally condition themselves during their non-hiking periods in order to keep up their hiking stamina. What’s a hiker to do to keep in shape?
Of course the best exercise for hiking is … hiking. So even on weekends when you’re not hiking with your CHS pals, you should try to get out with friends and family and get a few miles in. If hiking is not possible, then you need to find other ways to keep up cardiovascular endurance and strength. Many hikers enjoy doing pack walks on local streets and trails. This involves stuffing a bunch of weight into your pack (usually in the form of water bottles or sand bags) and walking several miles wearing this weight. You can start out with about 15 pounds and work your way up from there. Walk at a comfortable, sustainable pace for most of the time, but also speed up a bit every now and then to simulate an exercise interval, moving your activity level from aerobic to anaerobic to build strength and cardiovascular endurance. If you're pressed for time and have access to a treadmill, try adding a bit of incline to your walking. 30 minutes at 2.5 mph and 5 degrees of incline with a 15-lb. pack would be a great starting point.
Another good cardio activity that works well for building hiking strength is climbing stairs. You can do this with or without weight. The key is to perform the activity for a period of time (anywhere from 15-30 minutes) without stopping to rest. In order to do this, you must maintain a sustainable pace as you climb. It’s also a good way to practice the rest step (click here to view an article on setting a pace and using the rest step as a way to maintain movement while resting leg muscles).
You can also do other types of exercises and weight training to build your endurance and muscle strength, but these are the two most-hiking specific activities we can recommend when you can’t get out to do an actual hike. Cross-training (doing other activities that use muscle groups different from those involved in hiking) is always a good idea and can lessen muscle strain and injury caused by repetitive activity. Swimming, bicycling and running are some other activities you may enjoy.
For an expert’s advice on conditioning for hiking, including information on interval and cross training, take a look at local trainer and Mountaineers member Courtenay Schurman’s web site (http://www.bodyresults.com/hiking-training.asp). She provides detailed information and links to articles, exercises, and sample programs that might help you out. Courtenay also provides more hands-on assistance if you feel that would be beneficial to you. Kelly used her advice earlier in her hiking career to increase her hiking pace and stamina and highly recommends her. An additional resource is "Conditioning for Outdoors Fitness" from the Mountaineers bookstore -- put your 20% member's discount to work!
So find a workout buddy and work on keeping up your fitness! You’ll enjoy yourself a lot more on the trail, feel better before, during, and after your hikes, and avoid muscle injury.
I hope to see you all on the trail soon!
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