{"id":4680,"date":"2019-04-30T21:48:46","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T21:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=4680"},"modified":"2019-04-30T21:48:46","modified_gmt":"2019-04-30T21:48:46","slug":"how-to-physically-prepare-for-a-long-hike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=4680","title":{"rendered":"How to physically prepare for a long hike"},"content":{"rendered":"<body><p><\/p>[Please note that this was originally posted on 4.24.19 <a href=\"https:\/\/hiawathahiking.com\/2019\/04\/24\/how-to-physically-prepare-for-a-long-hike\/\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">here.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0Hiawatha Hiking Company is our new business!]\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>From 2004 to 2010, I wasn\u2019t very physically fit.\u00a0 I had finished high school, went to college, got a master\u2019s degree, and got a job.\u00a0 Regular exercise just wasn\u2019t on my radar.\u00a0 I would have considered myself fairly healthy, but truthfully, I wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t exercise, and while I paid attention to what I ate, I certainly could have eaten healthier.\u00a0 I did some overnight backpacking trips while being fairly out-of-shape (including North Manitou Island and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore) without repercussions.\u00a0 However, I knew physical preparations would make an overnight hike (and day-hike, for that matter) more enjoyable.<\/p>\n<p>I started practicing yoga in 2010 and started to run in 2011.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure what sparked the change, but I felt better after moving my body.\u00a0 Since then, I have been consistently active, becoming a certified yoga teacher and completing a couple half marathons, something I would have never considered ten years ago.\u00a0 These endeavors complement and prepare me for one of my favorite activities:\u00a0 hiking!<\/p>\n<p>Guided tours with Hiawatha Hiking are geared toward beginner and intermediate hikers, with lots of breaks and very manageable mileage.\u00a0 Some preparation, however, will make your life easier, so we\u2019ve included some tips below for hikes of any length.<\/p>\n<h4>Get moving<\/h4>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to be a Boston Marathon qualifier to have a successful hike, but some movement beforehand certainly helps!\u00a0 A simple start is to walk around your block.\u00a0 On days where I am taking a break from running, I like to walk around my neighborhood; it\u2019s amazing what you see at a slower pace.\u00a0 You can gradually increase the length or speed of your walks.\u00a0 When you\u2019re ready, you can challenge yourself with steeper terrain, perhaps hitting the trails or walking up that big hill that once seemed daunting.\u00a0 Take the stairs rather than the elevator.\u00a0 If you have a gym membership, a stair stepper machine can be put to good use!\u00a0 A great way to prepare for a hike is to simply put one foot in front of the other.\u00a0 Of course, it is always a good idea to discuss any new exercise regimen with your doctor.<\/p>\n<h4>Wear your chosen hiking sneakers\/boots<\/h4>\n<p>Once you choose your hiking footwear, start wearing those shoes on your training walks\/hikes\/stair step routines.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/hiawathahiking.com\/2019\/04\/04\/footwear-for-happy-hiking-feet\/\">Click here<\/a> for advice on choosing hiking shoes.\u00a0 Training in your shoes is the best way to break them in (although some shoes require very little \u201cbreaking in\u201d).\u00a0 You can also decide if the shoes you have picked work for your body.\u00a0 Maybe you need to add an insole.\u00a0 Perhaps the socks you were excited about when you saw them at REI don\u2019t feel so nice.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be afraid to switch up your shoes and socks.\u00a0 Comfort is key!\u00a0 The same goes for clothing.\u00a0 Wear your \u201chiking outfit\u201d on your hikes to make sure it works for you.<\/p>\n<h4>Train with your loaded pack<\/h4>\n<p>I really started to take this notion seriously when we decided to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in 2016.\u00a0 We filled our backpacks with all of our gear\/water and set off on local trails.\u00a0 Going for a day-hike will help you get a sense of your pack weight and what is manageable.\u00a0 On blustery winter days when hiking outside wasn\u2019t ideal, I strapped my pack on my back and hit the treadmill at the gym.\u00a0 While I received strange looks and many questions, using the elevation setting on the treadmill trained my legs for the inevitable inclines on the real trail.\u00a0 In addition to wearing your pack on day hikes, if you can complete a one-night trip before a longer outing, you will know if the gear you have chosen is suitable.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3986\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3986\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-3986\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hiawathahiking.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Pictured-Rocks-2-1-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3986\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Preparing for the PCT on a training hike in Maumee, Ohio.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Only pack what\u2019s necessary<\/h4>\n<p>I have certainly trimmed down my gear since my first backpacking trip.\u00a0 While I still have a couple \u201cluxury\u201d items, I know that the lighter my pack, the easier and more enjoyable my trip will be.\u00a0 With less physical objects to deal with, you can focus more on the scenery and your body will feel better.\u00a0 While I don\u2019t advocate cutting your toothbrush down to a nub to shred grams (more power to you if this is you!), you probably don\u2019t need that extra pair of shoes, binoculars, or iron skillet.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3987\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3987\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-3987\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hiawathahiking.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Pictured-Rocks-3-1024x519.jpg?resize=640%2C324&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"324\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3987\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It helps to lay your gear out. Scrutinize and decide what you can eliminate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Other considerations<\/h4>\n<p>Unexpected physical hurdles may present themselves on a hike and emotional ups and downs can come with hikes of any length.\u00a0 As mentioned above, we at Hiawatha Hiking Company cater to beginner and intermediate hikers\/backpackers.\u00a0 Trip mileage is manageable and we take lots of breaks!\u00a0 We do our best to prepare you for all of our tours, whether it\u2019s a one-on-one gear\/logistical discussion well before commencement of an <a href=\"https:\/\/hiawathahiking.com\/backpacking-trips\/\">overnight outing<\/a>, or a group chat the morning of our <a href=\"https:\/\/hiawathahiking.com\/day-hikes\/\">day-hikes<\/a>.\u00a0 We will help you prepare as much as possible for an overnight backpacking trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore or Grand Island OR a day-hike to see Chapel Rock, waterfalls, the Beaver Basin Wilderness or Hiawatha National Forest.\u00a0 After all preparations have been made for a successful trip, you can take unexpected situations in stride and truly experience adventure in Michigan\u2019s Upper Peninsula!<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Please note that this was originally posted on 4.24.19 here.\u00a0Hiawatha Hiking Company is our new business!] \u00a0 From 2004 to 2010, I wasn\u2019t very physically fit.\u00a0 I had finished high school, went to college, got a master\u2019s degree, and got a job.\u00a0 Regular exercise just wasn\u2019t on my radar.\u00a0 I would have considered myself fairly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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