Hiking: Take it to a New Level + All Outdoor Workouts!

Well that was embarrassing!

So I thought I knew everything I needed to know about hiking, and I was so wrong! Hence why my 56 years old knees struggled whenever I would hike! I know what you are thinking. . . . . . yes, I am a personal trainer (yikes!). But everything I had learned from schooling & certification, let’s just say, stayed in the “gym”. And because of that, my knees would hurt + my body didn’t gain the full benefits of hiking. And this will happen when we do any kind of workout without knowing the right form.

Form is Always the Foundation

Whether you are working out in the gym, pool workout, biking, running, hiking, etc., form will either create an excellent, injury-free workout or a mediocre & possibly injury prone workout! Yes, I should know this as a personal trainer, but for some reason (I think it’s the captivating scenery when I am hiking!) when I would hike, I would just forget about form! I would just think of it as walking with an incline and then decline. I know you avid hikers are giggling right now . . . yes you Peggy! 🙂

I Was so Wrong!

Yes, hiking is not just walking! There is absolutely a correct way to do this & when I did it the proper way, I found my hiking pain-free. And that was hiking black diamond trails too! Also, it went from a lower body only workout, to a full body workout. So, how did I get this revelation? I would like to think as a personal trainer, I knocked some sense into myself, but no that was not it! Tom & I were in Telluride, Colorado (A bucket list item for everyone, right Beth!) for a week and we both were ready to escape the craziness of the world and get out into nature! As Tom says, we were “getting off the grid”, and heck that’s a great place to be! And hiking was just what we were wanting & needing!

A Life Changer/Lesson to Be Learned

So, the night before our first hike in Telluride, I decided to YouTube the proper way to hold my new hiking poles! Did you know there is a correct way? Well, there is and there is a whole world of hiking information at our disposal for learning proper techniques. I know, I should have thought about this years ago; but I say better late than never! Well, I found this fabulous YouTube video, (Chase Mountains) , where he describes not only the proper technique for using poles, but also the correct form for hiking & so much more. So,Voila! Here was the game changer for me!

There absolutely is a proper way to hike to prevent injury/pain (especially for our knees) BUT also obtain a full body workout. Just like when you do a squat exercise, you need to keep the weight in your heals, do not let your knees extend past your shoes, shoulders back & core tight! WOW, this is everything I tell my training clients and I didn’t carry this knowledge onto my hiking trails; but I do now! Also, when I use the poles for climbing steep trails (think of pushing off with the poles at 70′ degrees while moving upward) the hike is now a full body workout and not just lower body! And after 7 straight days of hiking (a couple of black diamond trails too), my knees did not hurt one time! Thank you Chase Mountains!

Don’t Forget to do This ⬆️

When hiking or doing any form of exercise when you come prepared, you have a greater chance of success. And like all workouts, stretching before and afterwards is imperative. See picture above, for my straight leg hamstring stretch & bent knee hip stretch. As I would do these stretches before & after my hikes. Also, nutrition before, during or after a workout is important depending on the length of your workout. We went on long, strenuous hikes, so we would pack nuts, dried fruit (love dried apricots) and fig bars (Sprouts has wonderful bars that are individually wrapped ). And water, water, water . . . hydration is a must!

My Amazon Finds for Hiking

You can link here ⬇️ for my Amazon Hiking Finds + other FitFab items

wide brim hat / polarized sunglasses / UPF Foldable Hat / UPF Sunshirts / hiking poles / bike shorts / hiking shoes / lightweight socks / support sandal/

No Hiking Trails, No Worries

We all love to be outside now more than ever, and I think it’s extremely important to get out when we can. The fresh air will clear the mind as we bring oxygen to our lungs & strength to our muscles. But if you don’t have access to any hiking trails right now, then go for a walk. And during your walk, you can add some awesome exercises to take it to a new level. If you need some ideas, here is a blog post to show you some exercises to do!

🔅”When you stop learning, you stop growing . . . even at 56 years old. So get out, try new things, challenge yourself and I promise your body & mind will reap the benefits!” – Christie

in health, happiness + hiking outdoors, Christie

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