Hiking, Backpacking Fitness Training

Hiking, Backpacking Description

Hiking primarily involves walking on hills and mountains or through forests or parks. Hiking provides an excellent opportunity to boost your fitness level while enjoying the beauty of nature. It can also be a valuable conditioning exercise for hill and mountain climbing, and may help improve performance in hunting and orienteering. Hiking can also be an effective method of stress reduction. Risks and

Hiking, Backpacking Risks

• Environmental considerations: overexposure to the sun, frostbite, snowdrifts, falls from hazardous landscape
• Knee or ankle sprains
• Pulled muscles/strains in calves or hamstrings

Hiking, Backpacking Sport-specific applications

• Mountain climbing
• Hunting
• Orienteering

Hiking, Backpacking Equipment required

• Hiking boots
• Clothing: insulated or ventilated depending on specific weather conditions
• Gloves for protection from weather when necessary
• Protective visor/sunglasses for sun protection
• Sunblock
• Walking/hiking staff (optional)

Hiking, Backpacking Applicable substitutions

• Walking
• Hill climbing

Hiking, Backpacking Reference sources, organizations and publications

• Backpacker magazine: Rodale Press, Inc., 33 East Minor St., Emmaus, PA 18098, (215) 967­5171
• American Hiking Society: PO Box 20160, Washington D.C. 20041­2160, (703) 385­3252

Mode

Cardiorespiratory:Aerobic/Interval

Fitness Benefits

• Cardiorespiratory 2
• Flexibility 1
• Muscular Strength 1
• Muscular Endurance 3
• Body Fat Recution 2

Fitness Requirements

• Cardiorespiratory 1
• Flexibility 1
• Muscular Strength 1
• Muscular Endurance 1
• Coordination/Skill 1

Muscle groups used

Primary muscles: quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteal muscles, calves and hip flexors Assistance muscles: hip abductors, hip adductors, obliques, erector spinae, abdominals, latissimus dorsi, triceps, forearms and shoulders

Energy expenditure

Approximately 0.05 Calories per minute per pound of body weight