10 Fitness Tips For Hiking From A Personal Trainer

Hiking is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in nature while staying fit and active. The combination of cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and mental rejuvenation makes hiking a perfect outdoor activity. Personal trainer keith Mcniven from City of London personal trainers Zone Body Fit, says Whether you are a beginner or an experienced hiker, incorporating these fitness tips into your routine will enhance your hiking performance and enjoyment.

10 Fitness Tips for Hiking

  1. Build Stamina: Start with shorter hikes and gradually increase your distance and intensity. Incorporate cardio exercises like jogging, cycling, or stair climbing into your routine to improve endurance.
  2. Strength Training: Hiking involves navigating uneven terrains and carrying a backpack, so building strength is essential. Include exercises that target your core, legs, and upper body. Squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks are great options.
  3. Flexibility: Improve flexibility through stretches before and after your hikes. Focus on stretching your hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and hip flexors to prevent injuries and increase range of motion.
  4. Proper Footwear: Invest in a good pair of hiking boots or shoes that provide ankle support and a durable tread. Ill-fitting shoes can cause blisters and discomfort. Break them in before your hike to ensure a comfortable fit.
  5. Hydration: Staying hydrated is crucial during hikes. Carry enough water and drink regularly to prevent dehydration. Water helps regulate body temperature and supports the functioning of muscles and joints.
  6. Balance and Stability Exercises: Strengthen your balance and stability by practicing exercises like single-leg stands, yoga, and using balance boards. This will help you navigate difficult terrains and reduce the risk of falls.
  7. Pace Yourself: Don’t rush through a hike; maintain a steady pace that allows you to enjoy the scenery and conserve energy. Start slow and gradually increase to a comfortable pace that suits your fitness level.
  8. Pack Smart: Pack a bag with essentials like a first aid kit, map, compass, flashlight, snacks, sunscreen, and extra clothing. Distribute the weight evenly in your backpack and ensure it fits snugly to avoid unnecessary strain on your body.
  9. Trail Variation: Mix up the terrain you hike on to challenge different muscle groups. Hill hikes, rocky terrains, and sandy paths all offer unique benefits. This will help you strengthen different muscle groups and prevent muscle imbalances.
  10. Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to your body’s signals during a hike. If you experience pain or fatigue, take breaks and rest. Ignoring discomfort can result in injuries. Remember to cool down and stretch after your hike to aid in muscle recovery.
hiking fitness

Hiking is a wonderful activity that offers both physical and mental benefits. By following these fitness tips, you can enhance your hiking experience, improve your fitness level, and discover the joy of exploring nature’s beauty. So lace up your hiking boots, pack your essentials, and embark on an adventure that will keep you fit and connected with the great outdoors. when your considering increasing your fitness and you are looking for personal training in London always check out a the national directory NRPT for qualified professionals. …

Carbon River Rain Forest Nature Trail

HIKING

DOGS NO

0.3 (miles)

 Very; Easy

Loop

Minimal (Elev. Δ – ft)

Washington

Mount Rainier

Carbon River Rain Forest Nature Trail is a very easy hike in Mount Rainier National Park that is perfect for kids or the elderly. The park says this hike starts at the “Carbon River entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. Rain forests seldom occur far from coastal areas, making the forest that grows in this valley unique. Use this trail to explore the only true inland rainforest at Mount Rainier.” Mount Rainier has plenty of camping available. Cougar Rock Campground is located in the southwest section of the park, Ohanapecosh Campground is in the southeast, White River is in the northeast section and Mowich Lake is a small tent only campground in the northwest section of Mount Rainier.

Red Tape

Entrance, Camping and Backcountry Fees
Contact: Mount Rainier National Park 55210 238th Ave East Ashford, WA 98304…

Vernal Falls Footbridge

Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park.
Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park.

                      

HIKING

DOGS: NO

WATERFALL

1.6 (miles)

 Easy;

Out & Back

~400 (+) (Elev. Δ – ft)

California

Yosemite

Vernal Falls Footbridge is an easy kid friendly day hike in Yosemite National Park that leads to an amazing view of the falls. This trail is paved and only has 400 feet of elevation gain, making it an ideal choice for hiker traveling with younger children. However, what it lacks in distance it makes up for in sheer beauty. The view of the 317-foot Vernal Falls from the footbridge is nothing short of breath-taking. This is a very popular trail in Yosemite Valley. If solitude is what you seek, look elsewhere. There is camping available in Yosemite National Park.

Red Tape

Entrance, Camping and Backcountry Fees
Contact: Public Information Office PO Box 577 Yosemite, CA 95389…

fairy falls trail

Fairy Falls Trail Yellowstone

WYOMING | YELLOWSTONE

                      

Fairy Falls in Yellowstone National Park. Photo: Alec

Activities & Features

Hiking.

Dogs – No

Notes

The trail to Fairy Falls is a great hike in Yellowstone National Park. It is kid friendly and leads to spectacular waterfall. Hikers pass Excelsior Geyser Crater and Grand Prismatic Spring, which at more than 350 feet in diameter is the largest hot springs in North America. Also the trail provides hikers with a lesson in fire ecology. It passes through an area toasted by the 1988 fires in park. Today a new Lodgepole Pine forest is taking hold and thriving! Fairy Falls itself falls nearly 200 feet making it one of the highest waterfalls in the park, plus it’s off the beaten path and is great way to avoid the crowds around Upper and Lower Falls. There is camping throughout Yellowstone National Park.

Red Tape

Entrance and Camping Fees
Contact: Yellowstone National Park PO Box 168 Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190

Wildlife on this Trail

  •  Bison
  • Mule Deer
  • Yellow-bellied Marmot

Plants on this Trail

  •  Indian Paintbrush
  • Ponderosa Pine
  • Lodgepole Pine
Devils kitchen trail

Devil’s Kitchen Trail

Devil's Kitchen in Lassen Volcanic National Park.

HIKING

DOGS NO

BIRD WATCHING

4.2 (miles)

 Moderate;

Out & Back

~440 (+) (Elev. Δ – ft)

California

Lassen Volcanic

Devil’s Kitchen Trail is a moderate hike in Lassen Volcanic National Park that features tremendous thermal features. The park says this “trail gradually crosses through meadow and forest to a circuit that winds through mudpots, steam vents, fumaroles and milky Hot Springs Creek.” The trailhead is located north of the Warner Valley Campground on the Warner Valley Road. There is camping available in Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Red Tape

Entrance and Camping Fees
Contact: Lassen Volcanic National Park P.O. Box 100 Mineral, CA 96063…

Crystal Lake Trail

Crystal Lake in Mount Rainier National Park.

                     

HIKING

DOGS – NO

LAKE

6 (miles)

 Difficult;

Out & Back

~2300 (+) (Elev. Δ – ft)

Washington

Mount Rainier

The Crystal Lake Trail in Mount Rainier National Park is a tough hike but rewards with abundant wildlife. The park says “the trailhead is located on SR 410 approximately 4 miles north of Cayuse Pass toward the north park boundary. It is on the east side of the road near Crystal Creek. By late July and early August the meadows explode with a wide variety of colorful subalpine wildflowers. Watch for elk and mountain goats grazing on the surrounding slopes and ridges anytime throughout the summer and early fall. A side trip to Crystal Peak (five miles round-trip) is well worth the effort. On a clear day five volcanoes can be seen from this 6615 ft. former fire lookout site. Start early in the day if you plan on hiking to the peak as the trail traverses a shadeless south-facing slope which can be very hot and dry during summer.” Mount Rainier has plenty of camping available. Cougar Rock Campground is located in the southwest section of the park, Ohanapecosh Campground is in the southeast, White River is in the northeast section and Mowich Lake is a small tent only campground in the northwest section of Mount Rainier.

Red Tape

Entrance, Camping and Backcountry Fees
Contact: Mount Rainier National Park 55210 238th Ave East Ashford, WA 98304…

Sleeping bag

Sleeping Bag Buying Guide


What should I look for in a sleeping bag?


Understand the sleeping bag temperature rating scale

Bags which display a “lower-limit” as well as a “comfort” rating were rated according to the European Norm (EN) standard. The “lower-limit” rating corresponds to the temperature at which the average male would be comfortable and is lower than the “comfort” rating, which corresponds to the temperature at which the average female would be comfortable. Anticipate the coldest temperature you may experience when choosing your sleeping bag (note that it is also possible to increase temperature ratings by wearing layers, etc.).  

As such, men should pay attention to the “lower-limit” rating and women (of average hairlessness) should take note of the bag’s “comfort” rating.   Personal temperature preferences are not reflected in these ratings, so keep that in mind.

A WORD ON SLEEPING PADS

Your sleeping pad (or lack thereof) also affects your comfort level.  Sleeping pads insulate you and your bag from the ground.  Because the bottom of your bag will compress when occupied, sleeping pads are very effective insulators in cold-weather environments (think desert or snow).
 

Other considerations

CONSTRUCTION IS KEY

Sleeping bags insulate by trapping air against your body.  The two major types of insulation are natural down and synthetic fibers.  Down is a very efficient insulator and is used to create most lightweight sleeping bags.  On the other hand, down quickly loses insulating capacity when wet, whereas synthetic fibers are slightly more resilient.

Fill-power is simply a measurement of insulating efficiency (think temperature rating vs. weight).  The higher the number, the more insulation the fill provides for the same amount of weight.  

BAG TYPES FOR ALL

Sleeping bags designed for backpacking utilize a space-saving “mummy” design and use the lighter-weight materials noted above.  Car-camping bags are usually rectangular, often made form cotton or polyester, and make poor backpacking bags on account of their weight.

STORAGE MATTERS

Never keep a sleeping bag in its stuff sack longer than you have to, especially if it was put away wet.  To maintain your bag’s EN rating, you should store your bag in its accompanying storage bag (NOT the compression bag) or a large garbage bag. …

Sunburn Forst Aid sign

How To Treat Sunburn


Spend enough time outdoors and at some point you are going to get a sunburn, no matter how careful you are. How to properly treat a sunburn is general first aid knowledge every person who enjoys playing outside should have in their arsenal.

How to treat a sunburn.

Step-by-Step instructions for treating a sunburn:

The following tips come from the American Academy of Dermatology and the Skin Cancer Foundation:

  1. If you think you may be getting burnt, get out of sun. Cover exposed skin, find shade or simply call it a day and head home. It can take up to six hours for a sunburn to become apparent.
  2. If you are burnt, cool down. You can take a cool bath or apply a cold damp towel to the sunburn a few times a day. I’m sure you’ve done this before, and yes it feels really good!
  3. Moisturize the burned areas with copious amounts of lotions that contain aloe vera, vitamin C or vitamin E.
  4. If your burn is painful you can take ibuprofen and use a hydrocortisone cream for a couple days to relieve the pain. Stay away from lotions or creams that include petroleum, which is a heat trap, or benzocaine or lidocaine, which can irritate the burn.
  5. Stay hydrated! A sunburn brings fluids from the body towards the skin. So make sure you are drinking plenty of water.
  6. Keep your hands to yourself! If your sunburn is bad enough to form blisters, leave them alone! Never pop them, that just increases the risk of infection and irritation.
  7. Remember the best treatment is prevention. If not well-covered, always wear plenty of sunscreen and make sure to have extra in your first aid kit. Also it’s helpful to know your skin type and how prone you are to burning. Below we’ve listed the Fitzgerald Skin Type Scale to help your determine your skin type.

Skin Conditions and Skin Types

The Fitzgerald Skin Type Scale categorizes human skin types into 6 groups:

Skin Type 1  Pale white, red-headed, freckled. Irish/Scots/Welsh.  Always burns, never tans, extremely sun-sensitive.

Skin Type 2  White to beige, fair-skinned, fair-haired, blue or green-eyed. Caucasian.  Burns easily, tans minimally, very sun-sensitive.

Skin Type 3  Beige, average skin. burns moderately, tans gradually to light brown, minimally sun-sensitive.

Skin Type 4  Light brown skin. Mediterranean-type Caucasians  Burns minimally, tans well to moderate brown; minimally sun-sensitive

Skin Type 5  Moderate brown skin.  Middle Eastern, some Hispanics, some African-Americans.  Rarely burns, tans profusely to dark

Skin Type 6  Dark brown or black skin.  African-American.  Rarely if ever burns, tans profusely…

Ticks

How to Remove a Tick


Learn how to remove a tick. Spending time outdoors is something we all enjoy doing. But, part of nature is ticks; and knowing what to do if you or your pet suffers a tick bite may save you a visit to the hospital. In the event you find a tick attached to you or your pet, follow these steps for removing a tick. .

Photo: Fairfax County

Tick Removal Step by Step

1) With fine-tipped sterile tweezers, grasp the tick right next to the skin’s surface. Avoid grabbing it by its midsection as you don’t want to squeeze it and cause it to secrete pathogens.

2) Pull with a steady even pressure. Do not twist or jerk as you don’t want the mouthparts to break and remain attached to the skin. If that does happens, carefully try again with the tweezers.

3) Once the tick is removed, thoroughly wash the bite area and your hands with soap and water, iodine soap and/or rubbing alcohol.  

4) Remember the best way to remove a tick is to take the proper prevention steps to avoid tick bites in the first place.

What do after removing a tick from you or your dog?

This is one of the biggest and most common mistakes made by hikers who suffer tick bites, DON’T throw your tick away! Save the tick to show your doctor in the event of disease transmission. On the trail you can wrap it tightly in duct tape, then once you arrive home preserve it in a small container of rubbing alcohol. Once it is safely preserved in rubbing alcohol we recommend trying to identify the tick.

Tick Diseases

Contact your healthcare provider if you develop a rash or fever within a few weeks after after the tick bite. Be sure to show your healthcare provider the preserved tick and make sure you tell them where you were when the bite happened, and roughly how long it may have been attached before you noticed. A tick bite can transmit Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and a variety of other tick diseases that can be fatal to either you or your pet if left untreated.

Avoid folklore tick bite remedies

Do not crush the tick the between your fingers!

Do not handle tick with your bare hands!

Do not use sharp forceps!

Do not apply heat, it will cause tick to secrete bodily fluids into you!

Do not apply apply random substances such as petroleum jelly, stove fuel, ketchup packets or anything else you may have in your pack…

camping

Car Camping Checklist

The Ultimate Car Camping Checklist


This list is for car campers and is intentionally extremely long. There is nothing worse than forgetting something absolutely essential to enjoyable camping trip. The editors of TrailMob compiled this list to ensure, forgotten sleeping pads, memory cards for camera no longer sour an otherwise amazing trip. Yes we realize this list is long and clearly you will not bring everything on here.


Camping sleeping and general gear checklist

Air mattress (s)
Backcountry Backpack
Bikes
Daypack
Extra Blanket (s)
Firewood
Fishing Gear
Folding chairs
Hatchet
Headlamp (s)
Knife
Lantern (batteries or fuel)
Large Backpack to store everything else
Multi-tool
Pet food (with favorite bowl)
Pet tent
Pet toys (such as Chuckit!)
Pillow (s)
Sleeping bag (s)
Sleeping pad (s)
Survival / First Aid Kit
Tea Candles
Tent (with stakes and guylines)
Tent Footprint
Water filter

Camping clothing checklist

Bandanas or buffs
Boots
Clothesline with clips (Paracord and bread clips work well)
Extra Layers
Gloves
Hats
Long underwear
Long-sleeve shirts
Moisture-wicking T-shirts
Pajamas
Pants
Rain Jacket (s)
Sandals
Shorts
Socks
Sweatshirt
Swimsuit
T-Shirts
Umbrella
Underwear

Camping cooking and kitchen checklist

Bottle opener / corkscrew
Bowls, plates, mixing bowls
Cooler (s)
Cutting Board
Egg holder (Empty Water bottle works great & saves space.)
Foil
Fuel
Ice
Lighter
Matches
Mugs
Paper Towels
Paring knife
Pot scrubber
Pots & pans
Resealable storage bags
Roasting sticks
Soap
Spatula
Stove
Trash bags
Utensils
Water bottles
Whisk
Windscreen

Camping food staples checklist

Appropriate airport alcohol bottles
Bagels
Beer
Bread
Btl of Liquor
Btl of Wine
Charcoal (In Egg Carton)
Cheese
Chocolate / sweets
Cocoa
Coffee Filters
Coffee Ground
Condiments
Cookies, Oreos work great for s’mores.
Crackers or Chips
Drink Mixes (Including Coffee VIA)
Eggs (freeze-dried or fresh)
Energy Drinks
Freeze-dried meals
Fruit
Gallon of Water (Frozen, save money on cooler ice)
Graham Crackers
Granola
Hot Dogs
Ice
Jerky
Lunch Meat
Marshmallows
Oatmeal
Oyster Crackers
Ramen
Recipe Ideas
Soda
Some sort of Bars, Nature Valley etc.
Soup
Spice kit (Tic Tac Containers work great)
Steak / Burgers
Tea
Vegetable Oil (In small canister)

Camping electronics and paperwork checklist

Atlas
Binoculars
Camcorder
Camera
Campsite reservation confirmation
Car Charger
Cell Phone
Cell Phone Charger
Computer w/ Charger
GPS receiver
Guidebook
Interpretive field guides (flowers, insects)
Maps
Memory cards
Notebook
Parks passport
Pencil
Pens
Portable Charger
Radio or music player with headphones
Reading material
Sketchpad with art supplies
Solar Charger
Star chart/night-sky identifier
Two-way radios
Write in the Rain notebook

Camping personal hygiene checklist

Alcohol or antiseptic wipes
Biodegradable soap
Comb
Cosmetics
Earplugs
Female hygiene products
Floss
Hand sanitizer
Insect repellent
Lip balm
Mirror
Portable shower
Prescription medications
Quick drying towel
Sunscreen
Toilet paper
Toothbrush
Toothpaste

Campfire fun and games checklist

Board games
Bocce ball
Boomerang
Footbag
Frisbee
Geocaching materials (with GPS receivers)
Horseshoes
Kites
Paddle ball set
Playing cards
Puzzles
Water toys…

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