With our new year, new me resolution in mind, it’s time to get to work. Committing to a workout regime is rewarding and fun for the first few weeks or even months but it tends to get boring and monotonous. This is when you need that extra motivation to keep up with the fit life you promised yourself for the year. One way to switch up your exercise routine and try something new, it’s a great idea to for a hiking trip.
Hiking is done for several reasons, but hiking for weight loss is an effective way to lose those extra pounds. With that, it’s an amazing way to explore and appreciate your surroundings and well, it’s free. Not just that, it’s also a great activity to do with your partner!
To help you get started, here are five things which you should look out for as a beginner hiker:
- Hiking gear
As much fun as hiking sounds like, it is absolutely free and you literally need nothing to start it. You can easily get away with whatever you already own.
Starting off with clothing, most hikers tend to commit the felony of showing up in jeans and regular clothes for hiking which can get heavy and chafe with the sweat. This is why your best option is wearing wicking workout clothes which are designed for being active. Long pants or tights are good for making sure your legs don’t get scraped up on bushes along the trail. Likewise, long sleeve shirts will protect you from the elements, but you can roll up the sleeves when it’s hot.
Furthermore, with clothes come shoes. For that, you’d just need a good pair of sneakers or trail runners. If you have an old pair of hiking boots in your closet, it might be better to leave them behind if you haven’t worn them in a while, they could cause blisters and disrupt your hike.
It doesn’t end here. You must also grab a backpack which has water, snacks and even extra layers for times it gets chilly. With that, it is wise to be prepared for rain, or for the temperature to go up or down.
- Understand Your Map
Understanding where you are and where you are going is the key to enjoying your hike. A combination of electronic navigation and paper is a good route for hiking beginners.
For starters, begin with printing out the hiking guide and map for your particular location. Once you have the print in hand, it is imperative you go through or rather study the map to get an idea as to what to expect from it.
In addition to a hardcopy of the maps and guide, it is always a good idea to use an app which provides the facility of maps for offline use. This will ensure that you have the map even when the signals aren’t too strong. To keep your cell phone battery to last long, it is advisable that you put it in flight mode and that way you can save a ton of battery life for your phone.
- Watch Your Feet
This one is a given. You must always steer clear of an accident. A hike is never complete unless an ankle is bruised or worst, twisted. The biggest risk you generally have on an easy hike is stepping in the wrong place. This could mean twisting your ankle, slipping on a rock, tripping on a root, or worse, stepping on some poisonous wildlife. Just be conscious of where you are walking, especially if you are chatting, tired, or wearing headphones.
- Hiking for weight loss
Hiking is an effective way to get your body not just toned but also lose those extra pounds. It is a new way to challenge your body to its utmost limits. It is vital that you begin with a site which is beginner friendly and eventually build your stamina up by going for steeper locations. This way your body will not get used to it and hence, will shred the holiday left over.
- Keep track of it
Most hikers come with the fear of being lost or just losing track. To best way to go about it is by downloading a hiking or running app to keep track of how far you go and how much hiking you do.
Few great apps worth mentioning are RunKeeper and EasyTrails. If you don’t want to use much technology, go for a cheaper Fitbit Flex to track your steps and elevation.
Hiking is a great alternative to indoor workouts and other outings which is why it must not be passed on!
The post 5 Things To Expect When Going On A Hiking Trip appeared first on Sound Health Doctor.
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