Ensuring fitness before planning a hike or a trail is essential; for it helps you condition your body and reduce the risk of getting injured. Preparing yourself for your big hike is not a huge worry though, as you can simply stick to some primary workout sessions that will help you avoid all the huffing –puffing and breathing issues while you are on your trail. You just need to visualise the challenges and then start working on them with a 10 minute short routinely workout session. Incorporating it in your daily regime can help in bolstering your strength.

Apart from basic exercises, you also need to make sure you can work on your balance and can face challenges like a pro. You just need to build-up confidence in your abilities before you set out to reach your goal.

Follow some simple workout tricks religiously on a daily basis and be assured of a fit and active you. A few recommended exercises are as follows:

Work on your Leg Muscles

Total body fitness is the key to success in the mountains. Along with strong leg muscles for hikers, upper body strength too is important. Including Scotty bobs in your daily 10-minutes exercise routine will help in providing pack comfort and stability on tricky terrain. This particular workout helps you build your arms, chest back and core simultaneously.

Set your body in a plank position, holding a dumbbell in each hand. You can hold a dumbbell of 15 or 25 pounds, depending on your weight. While you are getting back up from the floor, i.e. as soon as you are in the up position, you need to pause and do one dumbbell row with your right arm. Likewise, do it with your left hand, repeating all steps. This completes 1 rep.  Repeat this for 2 reps.

Stretching and Body Balancing

A warm-up before any exercise routine is mandatory as it decreases the chances of any severe injury or muscle imbalance. In order to get better results, people who plan to go for hiking should focus on their calf, hamstring, quads, and inner thighs while stretching. Try static stretching exercises and work on your balance too. Improve your endurance level along with strengthening your leg and ankle muscles. Simply stand on one foot, with the other foot resting on the thigh of the leg that touches the ground. Maintain balance and add some weight to make it a little more difficult.

An Easy Warm-Up Exercise

Building up hamstrings, quads and glutes comes easy with step-ups routine. These muscles are essential as they improve your overall stamina and you are capable of walking a hundred miles extra.

Just face a 20 inch box. Step up onto that box with both feet. Your right leg should lead, driving off your left leg. Now get back to your original position. This may be referred to as 1 rep. Now do the same using your left leg first. Repeat 12 reps of this, alternating the leading leg.

Aerobics

Aerobics too is an excellent alternative for staying fit as it helps hikers and trekkers to climb and trek on steep hills. This is a perfect alternative to running on a treadmill. This is the best cardio exercise which helps in a better circulation of blood as it improves your heart pumping rate. While doing this exercise, you can cycle back to the first two exercises.

Set up 2 objects, they can be two cones or anything, 40 feet apart. Start from one end and run from one corner to the other. You need to run around these objects. Complete 3 laps of this, i.e running cone to cone and back - this is 1 lap.

Follow this basic 10 minute workout regime for a better and fitter backpacking or hiking experience!