You may want to participate in hiking one of these days since most people paint a picture that hiking is all about having fun. Still, this ideology may make some people underestimate the physical challenge that comes with hiking. There are specific exercise routines that you should consider to strengthen the muscles you will need while hiking. Below are some of the exercise routines you should do before embarking on your hiking expedition.
Goblet Squats
You mostly rely on your leg muscles during hiking, so doing exercises that target your legs will give you a great advantage. Goblet squats target larger leg muscles like your hamstrings, glutes, and quads.
How it’s done: You can either use a dumbbell or kettlebell depending on what you can access. Grab a dumbbell between your hands while holding your sternum. Your feet should be hip-width apart while you are keeping your weight on your heels.
Your knees should be over your toes to ensure that you aren’t bowing inwards while doing the squats. When you hit parallel, you should stand up straight by powering through your movement. This should be done until your hip is fully extended. You should slowly build up the weight as your body adjusts.
Kettlebell Deadlift
Deadlifts tend to release the muscle potential in your posterior chain. This targets your hamstrings and lower back.
How it’s done: You should consider starting with a lightweight until your form can withstand heavier weights. Your toes should be pointed forward with your feet hip-width apart while holding the kettlebell. The kettlebell should be rested between your thighs while you are standing upright.
While maintaining a neutral position at the hips, you should slightly stick out your back. After that, you should lower into a squat until the kettlebell touches the ground. Your knees should straighten before moving your hips back to your starting position. This completes one rep. You should visit sport performance shops like https://musclesfax.ws/ to get the necessary supplements to assist you in building your body.
Stairmaster
Though muscle strength is essential while trekking, cardio should be equally considered before doing any hiking activities. Stairmaster exercise builds your cardiovascular tolerance and strengthens your muscles used for climbing in the process.
How it’s done: The ideal time to set while using a machine in the gym is about 20 minutes. The first five minutes should be used for a warm-up at a slow pace. You should only be focused on increasing the overall intensity while working out since speed is not crucial in hiking.
Step-ups
Step-ups can be done at home or at any gym with a box. If you can’t find a box, you can be creative and use staircases or bleachers. Step-ups build muscles like the glutes and quads, which are used extensively during hiking.
How it’s done: If this is your first time doing this exercise, you should start with a box of about 16 inches in height and gradually increase the height of the box you are using as you become more comfortable. You should start by facing your box, then raise your foot on top of it while using your muscles to step up. While at the top of the box, extend your hips fully to stand upright with both legs. Use the foot on the box to step down then use the other leg for the next rep.
Conclusion
Before and after doing the exercises mentioned above, you should spare a little time to stretch since stretching ensures that you avoid any injury and also enables you to recover swiftly. Before doing any new exercise routines, you should always consult a professional.