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.
אין תגובות:
הוסף רשומת תגובה