How to Get in Shape for Hiking

We have been trying to incorporate more personal stories and posting about our travel/hikes. I'm still really behind on our hiking trips but plan to finish them all soon! These are really important for us to share because as we've mentioned many times before, we do not live in the gym. We don't diet and exercise to look a certain way. This is a lifestyle for us because it allows us to do the activities we love. One of those activities is hiking. We don't want to just drive around and look at mountains or go a quarter mile into the trail, we want to conquer the mountain!

We've climbed some scary trails like Angels Landing in Zion National Park and Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. We've also climbed the highest peak in the lower 48, Mount Whitney. Some of our hiking trips are two weeks long where we hike over 120 miles. I'm not saying this to brag but I want you to understand that if you just consistently train year-round you can do anything you put your mind to! It's just like eating healthy year-round, it will save you so much time and energy and you won't have to constantly worry if your clothes are going to fit or not. We consistently lift weights 4-5 times per week and do cardio 2-3 times per week.

RELATED: 5 Things We Have Done to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle for 5+ Years

Many people ask what we do to prepare for our hiking trips. Honestly, we don't do anything different from our normal workout routine. We work out similar to how the She Sweats 12-Week Transformation plan is structured with weight training and cardio. Closer to the trip, we tend to steer more towards the She Sweats 12-Week Run Builder, trading in some of the running for incline walking/sprints but we don't spend hours a day working out (unless we are hiking). It's just not necessary or healthy for most people. Building strong legs and strong back and core are key for hiking. Leg day is my absolute favorite (if you've ever done one of our workout plans you probably already know that!). I also do back extensions and core work like planks to warm-up for almost every workout, even if it isn't necessarily "back day".

If you are a beginner, you can start with some at-home exercises using just your body weight. Once you get the form down you can incorporate weights. Check out this full-body hiker workout!

We want you to know that anyone can hike! It's putting one foot in front of the other and definitely a "mind over matter" situation a lot. However, being properly prepared/trained to hike will make it more enjoyable!

We will be sharing A LOT more of our traveling tips. We have posts planned on every single thing we do to save money before the trip and during the trip. We have/will share how/where we book our lodging, flights, and how we handle meals while traveling. Traveling does not have to be as expensive as you may think. Sign up for our newsletter so you never miss a post!