Training for long hikes

alittleunwell7
alittleunwell7 Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have a trip to Patagonia planned next year that will include multi day hikes. I am overweight and out of shape, but this is my husband's dream, so I am going to use it as the kick I need to fix this.

I am having trouble figuring out the best exercise plan, as I live in Florida with absolutely no elevation. If I use the stair climber and the treadmill on an incline frequently, will that be enough to prepare me? I've thought that as time gets closer I will have to maybe put weights in my hiking backpack and walk up and down the overpasses or bridges in my area for some elevation. I am trying to do longer and longer walks for endurance, but they are flat. Also trying to do some workout videos to improve my cardio.

Is there anything I am missing? Any ideas for the best way to train for elevation hiking when you live somewhere flat? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

Replies

  • lx1x
    lx1x Posts: 38,330 Member
    Yep those two should help.. add weighted backpack or what you planning to take with you at that hike to get use to it.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited February 2019
    This sounds like a good plan. Your plan should also include working up to some day long hikes and a couple of overnight hikes. This will help you evaluate your conditioning and also shake down your gear set up. Maybe you can get up to the mountains in Georgia or the Carolinas for some hiking with elevation.

    Don’t neglect full body strength training, especially core and legs.

    I just did a quick Google search for “hiking training plans” and found quite a bit of info. I recently saw a training program for Maccha Piccu (sp!) but don’t see it at the moment.

    Weight loss will also help immensely. The less body weight you have to carry, the better. Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit and mfp gives lots of info about how to do that.

    Sounds like a fun goal!
  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
    How exciting to go to Patagonia!!

    I hike a good bit and am still overweight. It can be very difficult to hike steep terrains at elevation.

    Definitely continue with your long walks. Hike on actual trails as opposed to man-made sidewalks whenever possible. If I didn't have the Rocky Mountains I would probably do some training on a treadmill, at incline, wearing a weighted pack.

    As far as elevation I don't know if there's anything you can do for training. You will need to know a bit about elevation illness when you get out there as a preventative measure.

    Either way you'll have an amazing trip. I'm so envious!!
  • lx1x
    lx1x Posts: 38,330 Member
    edited February 2019
    Curiosity got me... Found this

    https://www.nomadasaurus.com/guide-to-trekking-hiking-in-patagonia/

    So.. better ask your husband what's his plan or trail he's going take you to.. it seems different rating . Some easy, some hard trails..

    It's looks fun and adventurous.. 👍
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    Overall this is a very good plan. I second what @lorrpb said about strength training. Building strength in your whole body will help you immensely. As will overall cardio training. I'm able to walk/hike a lot more now that I do more overall fitness training than I was before.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    I also concur with strength training. I had been doing full body strength training (squats, deadlifts, assisted pull ups, planks, push ups, and a bit of bench work) for about 6 months before I went to the Smokey Mtns on vacation. Just getting from where we parked the car to our cabin involved a steep climb up a long path and I was able to do that easily. I was amazed and more than slightly gratified as I was, for once, keeping pace with my long-legged spouse who's been in excellent shape due to his athletic pursuits for decades.
  • alittleunwell7
    alittleunwell7 Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you all so much for your tips! I have definitely neglected accounting for strength training, so that makes sense. Working on my core is good too, because I don't have great balance. I'm definitely hoping to lose a lot of weight this year, so that should help. It sounds like it would be a good idea to try to get away for a long weekend in the fall to hike somewhere like northern Georgia. We are taking the trip with a hiking group, and some of the hikes look pretty involved (the longest is 7-9 hours with a 3,000 foot elevation change). I want to make sure I can complete these, but also that I dont hold anyone back! Thank you all again for your ideas!
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    Thanks for putting this on my radar! After checking it out I think it's something my wife and I would like to try to do in a couple of years. We are in Panama, so we are already a bit closer to getting there.

    Good luck with your preparation!
  • alittleunwell7
    alittleunwell7 Posts: 8 Member
    MikePTY wrote: »
    Thanks for putting this on my radar! After checking it out I think it's something my wife and I would like to try to do in a couple of years. We are in Panama, so we are already a bit closer to getting there.

    Good luck with your preparation!

    Thank you for your encouragement! I hope you are able to go! It looks just incredible.
  • karenvandam
    karenvandam Posts: 23 Member
    I trained for a Grand Canyon hike last year so I feel like I can offer some relevant advice. While the hike went well, there were some things I wish I had worked on more. First, I was incredibly sore from the hike down. I had obviously neglected the muscles for going down (front of thighs and lower calves). To fix this, I would do a lot more lunges and squats. I would also find a tall building and do the stairs both up and down. I would concentrate on going down slowly to accentuate the muscle strain.

    Second, I was surprised how much the altitude and sustained climbing winded me. I thought I was fit enough! To fix this, I would focus on more aerobic endurance - longer time on the stair machine (like full hours).

    Third, I was the slowest person on the hike. I'm short so I know I'm at a disadvantage to start. But, I wish I would have done my training hikes faster. This would help with aerobic fitness as well as getting my feet ready for the extra friction from the speed. I normally hike about 3 mph. I should have aimed for 4 mph.

    You are on the right track with the weight loss, treadmill inclines, and training with your pack. I started with a few pounds and kept working up to 25 lbs. For the actual hike, we carried about 18 lbs, so the pack was not an issue. Do as many really long hikes as you can. Try to hike multiple days in a row as you get closer to your big event. It is time consuming, but I really enjoyed our training hikes! Good luck!
  • alittleunwell7
    alittleunwell7 Posts: 8 Member
    karenvandam wrote: »
    I trained for a Grand Canyon hike last year so I feel like I can offer some relevant advice. While the hike went well, there were some things I wish I had worked on more. First, I was incredibly sore from the hike down. I had obviously neglected the muscles for going down (front of thighs and lower calves). To fix this, I would do a lot more lunges and squats. I would also find a tall building and do the stairs both up and down. I would concentrate on going down slowly to accentuate the muscle strain.

    Second, I was surprised how much the altitude and sustained climbing winded me. I thought I was fit enough! To fix this, I would focus on more aerobic endurance - longer time on the stair machine (like full hours).

    Third, I was the slowest person on the hike. I'm short so I know I'm at a disadvantage to start. But, I wish I would have done my training hikes faster. This would help with aerobic fitness as well as getting my feet ready for the extra friction from the speed. I normally hike about 3 mph. I should have aimed for 4 mph.

    You are on the right track with the weight loss, treadmill inclines, and training with your pack. I started with a few pounds and kept working up to 25 lbs. For the actual hike, we carried about 18 lbs, so the pack was not an issue. Do as many really long hikes as you can. Try to hike multiple days in a row as you get closer to your big event. It is time consuming, but I really enjoyed our training hikes! Good luck!

    Thank you so much! This is incredibly helpful, especially learning what you wish you had done differently. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Everyone’s at s different pace, but 3-4 miles per hour is incredibly ambitious, especially for a beginner. That’s a normal walking pacecon flat city streets.

    For backpacking I was always told to estimate 30 min per mile, plus 30 min per 1,000 ft elevation gain , plus stops of course.

    If you are hiking with highly fit experienced hikers, there should be some discussion about pacing and difficulty rating of hikes, so no one ends up frustrated. Hiking etiquette is that the slowest hiker sets the pace for the group and should never be left behind. You might split into a faster group and a slower paced group if that would suit everyone’s needs and abilities.
  • Slayingdragons
    Slayingdragons Posts: 3 Member
    This is pretty good for training for hiking https://assets.exodus.co.uk/pdf/Exodus_WT_Fitness_Training_Guide.pdf

    Covers the strength ( and the stretches are worth doing on the actual hike). Good luck
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
    I hiked 10-25 miles a day on the Camino de Santiago a few years ago. The key for me was getting in a lot of walking mileage with my pack on ahead of time. Like for you, it was mostly flat where I did my practice hikes, but that didn’t matter much.

    We took a group of students with us. Several were athletes, but though we encouraged them to take long walks in their training, most did not. They figured they were just fit from all they did for their sports. They were hurting far more than the old people leading the trip!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    Yep, sounds like a plan. Even if it's flat in Florida you have the advantage of warm and humid weather. Take enough water and go out in summer as well. Patagonia will be easier in that respect. Also not only walk on roads, but go offroad. Areas with lots of higher grass, beaches, maybe a bit swampy (are there alligators? Then forget this one) This will train your feet and (especially lower) legs for the hikes.
  • alittleunwell7
    alittleunwell7 Posts: 8 Member
    Slayingdragons wrote: »
    This is pretty good for training for hiking https://assets.exodus.co.uk/pdf/Exodus_WT_Fitness_Training_Guide.pdf

    Covers the strength ( and the stretches are worth doing on the actual hike). Good luck

    This is great, thank you!
    emilysusana wrote: »
    I hiked 10-25 miles a day on the Camino de Santiago a few years ago. The key for me was getting in a lot of walking mileage with my pack on ahead of time. Like for you, it was mostly flat where I did my practice hikes, but that didn’t matter much.

    We took a group of students with us. Several were athletes, but though we encouraged them to take long walks in their training, most did not. They figured they were just fit from all they did for their sports. They were hurting far more than the old people leading the trip!

    I bet that was an amazing experience!


    yirara wrote: »
    Yep, sounds like a plan. Even if it's flat in Florida you have the advantage of warm and humid weather. Take enough water and go out in summer as well. Patagonia will be easier in that respect. Also not only walk on roads, but go offroad. Areas with lots of higher grass, beaches, maybe a bit swampy (are there alligators? Then forget this one) This will train your feet and (especially lower) legs for the hikes.

    Good idea, walking on the beach should definitely help with my weak ankles. I will add that to my list.

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