Day 1. Start Slow With Your Hikes

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Welcome to day 1 of the Staying Healthy on Your Hikes email series! Let’s start slow by 
talking about becoming comfortable with hiking. Just like any exercise, it is vital that you 
not rush into the practice, especially if you are out of shape or haven’t done a lot of 
hiking in the past. 

Choose Shorter Trails at First

When you are starting with your hikes, remaining healthy has to do with your physical 
endurance. Even if you are accustomed to cardio like walking or running, hiking is a 
different ballgame. It uses different muscles in your body, especially if there is a steep 
incline like around hilltops and mountains. You should start slow with just 1-mile hiking 
trails, aiming for flat ground and shorter distances. 

Get Into Shape at Home

It is also a good idea to condition your body in between hiking days so that you are 
building up your endurance and strength. This should include a combination of weight 
training and cardio workouts. You will notice that the more you are working out at home 
or at the gym, the easier your hiking becomes. You can then start going on the more 
advanced trails without risk of injury.

Gradually Increase the Difficulty and Length

As you get more used to hiking, you can then start increasing both the difficulty and the 
length of the hikes. Most hiking trails post how long each trail is and what the difficulty 
level is, which makes it a lot easier for you.

Make sure you check back tomorrow to read about what you should bring with you on 
your hike to stay healthy.

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