Condition your body for a long hike with these strategies

Going on a hiking trip requires physical preparation to prevent unwanted injuries and other difficulties. This could also mean lugging more gear for nature photographers like me, Jim Feldkamp. But if you’re an adventurer and photographer, don’t let these things stop you. Through the years I’ve realized that training your body for the journey will make the trip even more rewarding. Here are some of my physical conditioning tips that will help you with hours of trekking:

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Build up your endurance with cardio workouts: Whether it’s with a treadmill, a stationary bike, or an hour of aerobics, doing cardio is great training before a long hike. Aside from preparing your limbs for the tough paths, it’s also good for increasing your lung and heart capacity.

Increase your range of motion: These days, my friends call me Jim Feldkamp the pre-hike counselor. If you’re not really an avid hiker, you need to wake up the muscles in your body so you wouldn’t be in pain once you start the adventure. Increasing your range of motion through simple stretches and strength training will help you survive the elevated and uneven trails. For untrained hikers, ankle injuries and back pain are common enemies. If you want to feel great even after the hike, your muscles, joints, and bones must be ready to go.

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Go on a practice hike: To prepare my body for what’s ahead, I go on a practice hike a few days before the actual hike. It’s important to brace the body for an adventure. While it might be simple hike, it will prepare your legs and your back for the trip. During this practice, you’ll also be able to check your progress from all the training you’ve done.

If you’re planning on going with friends, it would be more fun to let them join your conditioning activities. The goal behind these preparations is to make sure you’re healthy and ready for a great nature trip. When your body is prepared, there will be less stuff to stress about during the actual hike.

Hello! I’m Jim Feldkamp, a nature photographer and a lover of the outdoors from San Francisco, California. For more on my interests, visit this page.