How to Hike a Trail Efficiently
Beginners will find that trail hiking in the woods takes a lot of intense effort. Hiking is a really good workout because it involves just about every part of your body.
If you're new to hiking and not in very good physical shape your muscles can become stiff and sore easily especially on the first day or two. Your lungs and heart also need to work harder as you climb up hills and carry a heavy backpack.
Furthermore, your feet can get blisters especially if you wear new boots. Taking it slow will help minimize all these problems.
Trail hiking is a much more arduous activity than walking because the uneven terrain forces your body to work so much harder. Steep slopes, rough tracks and obstacles all make establishing a rhythm more difficult.
However, there are a few techniques that can help you move more easily and efficiently. These techniques are nothing new and based on experience and common sense but they're very effective.
Pacing Yourself
One mistake beginners tend to make is to walk too quickly, stop, and then continue again at the same pace. This is very inefficient and you would have gone further if you maintained a steady pace.
Choosing a steady pace that you can sustain all day will help you make steady progress. Experienced hikers know this and they maintain their own pace even if it means that they need to hike much slower than walking on the streets.
Obviously, each individual will have a different pace depending on their level of fitness. The pace that's right for you is when you can hold a conversation while hiking uphill.
Taking Regular Breaks
Walking at a quick pace will definitely result in more rest breaks but what I'm talking about here is different because for quick hikers the rest intervals would get shorter as time goes by. A better way is to rest at regular intervals, say every hour or so for 10 minutes as opposed to resting every ten minutes for an hour.
Take the opportunity during these breaks to drink water, take a snack, check for blisters, cool your feet, remove small particles that went into your boots and stretch. Your rest interval depends on your level of fitness.
Continuous Hiking
In cold weather it is not desirable to take frequent rest breaks for ten minutes due to the increase risk of hypothermia. You need to adjust your pace so that you need less breaks.
Hiking at a slower pace would mean that your body will generate less heat. Start with an extra layer of clothing and fine tune your body temperature by removing your gloves or hat without having to stop.
Rest Step
This is technique that will enable to climb a steep for long distances without stopping. This technique may seem a little weird but can be very effective when done correctly.
To begin the rest step from an upright position you first step forward with one leg while the weight on the other leg and keeping the knee locked. With the knee still locked, you pause a bit before taking the next step.
Next, transfer your weight to your front leg pushing yourself up and swinging the back leg to take the next step. Continue in this fashion and you will be walking at a slow and steady pace.
If you're new to hiking and not in very good physical shape your muscles can become stiff and sore easily especially on the first day or two. Your lungs and heart also need to work harder as you climb up hills and carry a heavy backpack.
Furthermore, your feet can get blisters especially if you wear new boots. Taking it slow will help minimize all these problems.
Trail hiking is a much more arduous activity than walking because the uneven terrain forces your body to work so much harder. Steep slopes, rough tracks and obstacles all make establishing a rhythm more difficult.
However, there are a few techniques that can help you move more easily and efficiently. These techniques are nothing new and based on experience and common sense but they're very effective.
Pacing Yourself
One mistake beginners tend to make is to walk too quickly, stop, and then continue again at the same pace. This is very inefficient and you would have gone further if you maintained a steady pace.
Choosing a steady pace that you can sustain all day will help you make steady progress. Experienced hikers know this and they maintain their own pace even if it means that they need to hike much slower than walking on the streets.
Obviously, each individual will have a different pace depending on their level of fitness. The pace that's right for you is when you can hold a conversation while hiking uphill.
Taking Regular Breaks
Walking at a quick pace will definitely result in more rest breaks but what I'm talking about here is different because for quick hikers the rest intervals would get shorter as time goes by. A better way is to rest at regular intervals, say every hour or so for 10 minutes as opposed to resting every ten minutes for an hour.
Take the opportunity during these breaks to drink water, take a snack, check for blisters, cool your feet, remove small particles that went into your boots and stretch. Your rest interval depends on your level of fitness.
Continuous Hiking
In cold weather it is not desirable to take frequent rest breaks for ten minutes due to the increase risk of hypothermia. You need to adjust your pace so that you need less breaks.
Hiking at a slower pace would mean that your body will generate less heat. Start with an extra layer of clothing and fine tune your body temperature by removing your gloves or hat without having to stop.
Rest Step
This is technique that will enable to climb a steep for long distances without stopping. This technique may seem a little weird but can be very effective when done correctly.
To begin the rest step from an upright position you first step forward with one leg while the weight on the other leg and keeping the knee locked. With the knee still locked, you pause a bit before taking the next step.
Next, transfer your weight to your front leg pushing yourself up and swinging the back leg to take the next step. Continue in this fashion and you will be walking at a slow and steady pace.
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