Hiking should be done gradually. Start with some simple warm-up exercises, then gradually increase intensity while maintaining a steady breathing rhythm. At the end of your workout, take time to relax so that blood flows back from your limbs to your heart. Stay hydrated during exercise to quickly reduce fatigue and restore energy.
Hiking may seem simple, but to achieve fat-burning and weight-loss results, there are techniques involved. Both uphill and downhill have their tricks.
Pre-hiking warm-up
Remember to warm up before starting your hike. When beginning a hiking workout, do not immediately increase intensity — you must build up gradually and maintain a consistent breathing pace to slowly intensify your workout. This helps avoid sudden changes in breathing rate during the activity. Warm-up movements should target your waist, knees, and ankles, and should avoid repetitive bouncing motions.
1. Waist: Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, hug one knee with both hands, keep your back straight, and bend your body downward.
2. Knee joint mobilization: Bend your knees, place your hands on your knees, and rotate them clockwise, then counterclockwise.
3. Ankle joint mobilization: Stand with your weight on one leg, the other foot's toes touching the ground, and rotate your ankle first clockwise, then counterclockwise.
Hiking intensity
Studies show that hiking burns more fat than many other forms of exercise. For a man weighing about 70 kg, hiking uphill at a speed of 2 km/h on a 70-degree slope for 30 minutes burns approximately 500 kcal. That’s equivalent to swimming 50 meters per minute for 45 minutes in a pool or doing 50 minutes of continuous, boring abdominal exercises in the gym. To enhance fat-sculpting effects, aim to hike 3–4 times per week.
It’s important to note that higher intensity isn’t always better. Scientific hiking guidelines recommend keeping your heart rate between (220 - age) × 60% and (220 - age) × 80% beats per minute. So if you feel discomfort in your heart or excessive fatigue while hiking, stop and check your heart rate.
Post-hiking relaxation
It’s essential to relax your muscles promptly after hiking; otherwise, you may experience soreness in your calves, thighs, or even overall body pain. This is because exercise produces byproducts like lactic acid, which can cause muscle stiffness and soreness. Timely muscle relaxation improves fat-burning and body-sculpting results. Focus on areas prone to soreness (waist, hips, thighs, and calves) with stretches and relaxation. Hold each static stretch for 10–30 seconds, alternating sides.
1. Waist sides: Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart, tilt your body to one side, and position one hand above and the other below along a straight line perpendicular to the ground.
2. Hips: Stand with feet staggered, front knee straight and back knee bent, shift your weight backward, keep your back straight, and form a 30-degree body angle.
3. Hamstrings: Stand with feet staggered, front knee straight and toes pointed upward, back knee bent, back straight, hinge at the hips and lower down, reach your hands toward your front toes, and try to bring your chest close to the front of your thigh.
4. Front thigh: Stand on one leg, use the same-side hand to hold the ankle of the same leg, pull your heel as close to your buttocks as possible, bend your supporting leg, extend the other arm outward to maintain balance.
5. Calves: Stand with feet staggered, front foot on a support point with toes lifted and heels on the ground, back foot slightly off the ground, shift body weight forward, and use your hands to maintain balance.
