Do I have time to make a difference before a hike?

If you are not used to walking a lot, starting now is just going leave you with sore feet, knees and hips just in time for your hike in four days. I would concentrate on making sure your shoes/boots fit well, you've got good socks, do some lower body stretching and get plenty of rest. Who knows, after your hike you may find out you really like it and want to continue walking or hiking in the future

With all due respect, if you are so out of shape that you consider walking 3 miles round trip a " hike ", I believe there isn't much you can do in 3-4 days. Of course moving is always good. I fear that if you walk any distance, you will just get all achy and you will not be in the kind of shape to survive that " hike ". I would work out a strategy ( like walking 15 minutes and resting 3) to survive .
I was completely out-of-shape in April 2013 and started walking 5-7 minutes ( because I just could not handle more) I now can ( I maybe need to add that I am almost 67) walk 6kms at 12 minutes a km and 2.5 kms at a much faster clip and have gotten to that point by increasing my time by one minute every two days. If you are really out-of-shape 3 miles is a lot and you might want to walk a mile to figure out how you feel ( and don't forget to turn around after half a mile, because the way back to your starting point also needs strength and energy ) and then really consider if you can make three miles. When I started out 500 yards was my limit.....
Don't be too ambitious, but maybe start to exercise every day and you will see improvement within a month and real advances in two.....but four days.....sorry, but I don't think so.
Good Luck !

^^ agree. I would not try to do 3 miles your first day, you risk getting hurt.

As far as going forward, it helped me starting out to take it one thing at a time. I set my weight loss on here to be 1 lb/week (even though I have enough to lose to set it at 1.5 at least) and I just logged. Once I got a handle on that amount of calories (2-3 weeks), I knocked it up to 1.5/week. Just last week I started exercising again.

Some people benefit from jumping in all at once, I wasn't one of those.

:flowerforyou:

findingmeagain2014 wrote: »

Even still, my boyfriend is taking me on a hike on Friday. It is 3 miles round trip and I am certain to have a hard time keeping up with him. I really dread being winded in front of him.
...But I am wondering....is it possible to make myself in any better shape at all by Friday (It is Monday) without being sore from working out?

Not much you can do to improve your fitness level in just a few days.

Walking a little bit wouldn't hurt. Don't think I'd suggest trying 3 miles several times, but a shorter walk a couple of times might help loosen you up a little.

If you have concerns about the hike, please be honest with him about it. Might be a little embarrassing for you to admit. If I were in his shoes, I'd rather know and slow down the pace or stop to rest instead of making you miserable. Maybe walking is something you two could do more frequently.

Ang108 wrote: »

With all due respect, if you are so out of shape that you consider walking 3 miles round trip a " hike ", I believe there isn't much you can do in 3-4 days.

I respectfully disagree. 3 miles can be a hike, even for the experienced hiker, depending on the terrain, just like a 3-mile run is still a run, even if you're a marathoner.

OP: a lot depends on how much walking you're used to doing, and how rugged the terrain will be on Friday. If you can walk 3 miles on flat terrain (as you imply you can), you might want to try the following today:

1. Walk for a mile, with a few short, brisk intervals of a couple minutes. Plan to end somewhere with stairs, like a stadium or a parking garage with a staircase.

2. Walk up the stairs until you're feeling fairly winded. Walk slowly down and then repeat once or twice more.

3. Walk back to the starting point, taking it easy.

What this workout will do is stress your leg muscles (and maybe some of your core muscles). If you're not used to climbing, you may have delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) tomorrow or Wednesday. On Tuesday, take a moderate walk. On Wednesday, you can do a brisker walk if you don't have DOMS. If you do, take a moderate walk. On Thursday, take a short walk at a moderate speed.

By stressing your leg muscles within reason today, and allowing yourself to recover from DOMS if you get it, you won't strengthen yourself too much for Friday. However, based on my experience, you'll be much less likely to get DOMS after the hike, and thus more likely to want to go hiking again.

farmgirlrrt wrote: »

To answer your question: No, it won't make much difference really. Your boyfriend wants to spend time with you so getting the trail done as quickly as possible won't be his goal

This exactly

Some things you can do to help prepare: Research this hike. Is it a level 3 miles? A lot of uphill? Uneven terrain? Is it 1.5 out to the waterfall and 1.5 back? Make sure you have appropriate shoes and clothing. If you're on uneven terrain, you'll want good side to side support. Will it be wet? Goretex shoes and good socks will make a difference.

As you go, push yourself beyond casual comfort but stop short of pain or inability to breathe. If you can talk without sounding like Darth Vader, keep going. If you find yourself struggling to do that, suggest a water break, stop to fix your laces, or later a pause to look at the view, or even a cute couple selfie. You can get some calories burned and get exercise, while still making it an enjoyable experience that more closely resembles a date than a bootcamp.

Honestly though, if you do some research into this hike and its known to be a grueling 3 miles up serious terrain, don't force yourself into it. You won't enjoy it and you may resent him for it. Maybe do some research and find another trail or location that is challenging but more appropriately suited to your current abilities, with an IOU to check out this particular trail in the spring.