Over the last few months, there have been more people than ever getting into the woods and hiking on nice days. If you have spent time at the Middlesex Fells Reservation, Breakheart, or even on trails in New Hampshire you likely have noticed the increase in traffic. Whether you are doing a short hike in the Fells or hiking up Mt. Washington, utilizing smarter training practices will likely lead to you having a better day with less fatigue.

Here are a few training ideas that will help you stay injury free while hiking and allow you to continue spending time outside in nature:

Since you’re going to be using your legs, and mainly quads, for the duration of the hike it’s important that these muscles are strong and can work for long periods of time. Single limb exercises like split squats, walking lunges and reverse lunges are great options to train. It’s important to perform these exercises in the 6-12 rep range to build strength, but to also spend ample time performing them for 15+ reps to build muscular endurance. Here are two great options that requires minimal equipment and will offer numerous benefits:

Option one: Perform step ups on a rock/step/stairs. Ideally find something at least 12” high to step on. Set a timer for 5 minutes and see if you can perform controlled step ups for that time period. Increase by one minute per week.

Option two: Go outside and perform walking lunges. Pick a number of repetitions that you want to perform, and each training session add 10 more. This exercise will help build up the leg muscles that are super important for going up hills, as well as for the control required while coming down.

Both of these exercises can be made more challenging by increasing the time, reps, or adding a backpack with weight which will better simulate the demands of an actual hike. Any additional load that is being carried will make the hike more challenging, which is why it is a smart idea to include in your training.

It’s important to remember that no matter how great of shape you are in or how strong your legs are, nothing will ruin a hike quicker than an ankle injury. On almost any trail in New England, roots and rocks will be present. Many people don’t realize how much more challenging it is to walk on technical terrain as compared to normal city walking on concrete or walking around the house or backyard. Twisting an ankle on an obstacle like this could mean anything from limping your way out of the woods to not being able to walk and having to get rescued.

If you have nagging injuries that are preventing you from hiking or trail running like you want, or if you’re looking for some new ideas to add to your training, come in for a visit and we can help!

~ Written by Dr. John Thompson, a Physical Therapist at Fitzgerald PT and an avid hiker – learn more about him on our website here.