Fitness Training Plans – Are you fit enough for your next hike?

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Fitness Training Plans - Are you fit enough for your next hike?

Do you need fitness training plans?

You do if you hit the "wall" in the middle of your last hike!

The best way to prevent this is to keep fit in between hikes.

Fitness training plans are a set of exercise routines to prepare your body for hiking. These can be as simple as some of the examples below or a more detailed fitness program where you set yourself goals and gradually increase these over weeks and months.

Your fitness plan will add structure to your training. You can fine tune it to how much time you have and what level of hiking you are preparing for.

We have come across hikers who spend a lot of their time training and walking. One chap had done all of the 284 Scottish Munro mountains twice and was on his third circuit (only 4,000 or so people have completed the Munros once!). His training plan consists of well over a thousand miles (1,600 km) of cycling a month and he lives and breathes hiking in the Scottish Highlands several weeks at a time. Obviously, an incredible example, however the examples below are based on our own fitness training plans where time is a factor as we work full time and juggle families.

Two Important Notes

Before changing your exercise routine and especially if you haven’t exercised for a while, it is wise and always recommended that you seek the advice of a medical practitioner first.
It is important to take a slow and gradual approach to increasing your exercising over weeks and months, adding one exercise at a time. This gently introduces your body to the exercises and will help to avoid muscle damage and/or soreness.

The Warm Up – Prevents Muscle Damage and Aches

Always start an exercise session with warm ups to reduce muscle stiffness. This will help to prevent muscle damage during exercising and reduce aches afterwards. Suggested warm ups are stretches that involve slow movements like:

rotate your feet, hands and head in circular motions,
foot, calf and thigh flexes/bounces,
body bends to the sides then back and forwards,
reach ups and reach arounds (one arm at time),
squats,
followed by walking or light jogging for five minutes.

Fitness Training Plans – Setting Your Monthly Exercise Routine

For hikers, good cardio stamina over long distances and strong legs are essential. In the plans below we talk about mini trampolines however see our fitness gear page for other ideas (some of which you may already have).

Example Monthly Plan 1 – Ideal mix spread across weekdays and weekends

Build up to 20-25 minutes of jogging on a mini trampoline four to five days weekly.
Cycle (and for mountain hikers uphill cycling if possible) twice a month for say a couple of hours or more OR two medium distance walks (if on the flat try for a brisk pace, or hill walking).
One big hike with good distance, ascent and strenuousness.

Example Monthly Plan 2 – Weekends (if you have more time on the weekend rather than weekdays / evenings)

Two big hikes with good distance, ascent and strenuousness.
However do try to fit in walking to and from work / train station, during your lunch break, or if this is not possible try taking the stairs (and build up to two steps at a time) rather than the elevator / lift.

Example Monthly Plan 3 – If Weekdays / Evenings

Build up to 20-25 minutes of jogging on a mini trampoline five days per week.
One big hike with good distance, ascent and strenuousness.

And Afterwards Cool Down - Removes Lactic Acid from Muscles and Reduces Soreness

Often missed out, a cool down session helps to return the blood flow and heart rate to normal levels. It also removes lactic acid (which causes cramps) from muscles and reduces any muscle soreness that can occur a day or two afterwards. A suggested cool down includes:

walking or light jogging for five minutes,
followed by static stretches i.e. hold stretch position for 10 seconds and repeat.

We hope this has given you some ideas and useful techniques to help your fitness training and get prepared for hiking.

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