Step in the right direction

by Karen Werner – photography by Christopher Onstott

When it comes to healthy hobbies, it’s hard to shake a (walking) stick at hiking. The physical benefits are many, from losing weight; to preventing heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis; to decreasing blood pressure; to relieving arthritis and back pain. But climbing up hills offers more than blessings for your body. Hiking also lets you escape the confines of a gym, improves your balance, and gives you a chance to connect with your inner self. All that, and it doesn’t cost much, either.

John Ibach, the outdoor recreation director at Red Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah, and Kim Watters, Red Mountain’s fitness manager, see people transform on the trails every day. “They start with a little trepidation”, Ibach says, “but as the days go by, you can see that confidence grow. They develop better balance and a heightened sense of awareness.”

Becoming more conscious of the environment not only helps your hiking technique, it also brings you back to the trails. As Watters explains, “A lot of [the reason]why people don’t stay with an exercise regimen is because it’s not fun. But you can find passion in hiking. You get out and it’s so beautiful, you don’t realize how much time has gone by.”

Before you hit the trails, strengthen your body with the following exercises. In addition, research has shown that stretching before an activity actually increases risk of injury, so Red Mountain hasn’t advised guests to stretch before an activity in a few years. “It goes back to specificity”, Watters says. “You want to do the same type of exercise you’re going to be doing at the highest point of your workout.” Ideally, you should ease into hiking by walking for five to ten minutes before you start.

Once you’re geared up and on the trail, take time to remember why you’re there. “The bottom line is that hiking provides many physical benefits”, Ibach says. “But a lot of it is being out in the environment, listening, stopping, and seeing. Because if you’re so focused on getting aerobic activity, you’re going to miss why it is you’re outdoors.”

1. Get walking

As Kim Watters, the fitness manager at Red Mountain Spa, explains, “There’s a principle called specificity training, which is about training what you want to become better at. In other words, if you want to become a hiker, you should hike.” Watters suggests finding a place to do some climbing. A gravel trail is ideal since you can train with balance while walking upward. (Also practice coming down, climbing downhill can be a challenge.) If you live in an urban setting or can’t get out, walk on a treadmill to strengthen lower-body muscles and increase endurance. “The duration can be anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes, depending on how hard you’re working out”, Watters says. “If you’re working at a harder pace, you generally don’t have to hike long. If you’re taking it easier, you should go a little bit longer.”

2. Squat and strengthen

Build your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles by doing squats or lunges. “When doing squats, push your tailbone behind you as you begin to squat”, Watters says. “That will prevent your knees from pushing forward over your toes.” As for lunges, she advises keeping your torso upright as you lower one knee toward the ground. “Your stance should be wide enough to keep your front knee over your ankle”, she says. Healthy adults should aim for two sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. For an additional challenge, do these exercises on a Coreboard, BOSU or other equipment that creates instability.

3. Work on balance

To build greater stability, Watters suggests this exercise. Stand on one leg. Then, put your arms out to your sides. Now, above your head. You can also come into tree pose, by placing the foot of the elevated leg on either the shin or inner thigh of your standing leg. Now close your eyes. “It’s surprisingly hard”, Watters says.

4. Stretch at the end

At this point, your muscles are warm and you’ve cooled down a bit, so it’s a good time to stretch the major muscles you’ve used, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, and abductors (your outer thigh and hip areas). To stretch the hamstrings, come to a standing position. Extend your right leg in front of you with your heel on the ground. Keep the leg straight as you bend the left knee, moving your weight behind you. You should feel a stretch in your extended right leg. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, switch sides, and repeat. To stretch your hips, you can either stand or sit-down. Cross your right ankle above your left knee, opening your pelvis. Gently lean forward, keeping your foot flexed. Hold for 20 seconds, switch sides, and repeat. (If practicing this stretch while standing, instead of leaning forward, you’ll sit back as if you were to sit in a chair.)

Off the Mountain

It’s important to strengthen the muscles you’ll use going up and down the mountain. Watters advises going to your local high school or college and walking or running around the track, then climbing the stairs in the stadium. “Stair climbing is going to be very challenging for most people”, Watters says. Accordingly, for less-active people she suggests 5-10 minutes of stair climbing in combination with 15-20 minutes of fitness walking. For more active people, she recommends 15-20 minutes of stair climbing in combination with 20-40 minutes of fitness walking. The very active may want to do all 60 minutes of stair climbing. When climbing, Watters says to keep your upper body relaxed, using the natural swinging action from your shoulders. Keep your abdominals active for support and balance. In addition, your toes and knees should point forward.