Some forms of exercise you may want to do to get or stay healthy, more here.
Hiking
Calories burned: 167 to 223*
Muscles engaged: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, hips, core
Common injuries: Blisters, muscle strains/sprains, cuts, sunburn, dehydration, falls
Over the last 12 years, SharonMcCarthy has laced up her boots and hiked all of the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and completed the 1,200-mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail from the Smokies to North Carolina’s Outer Banks. She hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru and trekked the summit of Mount Whitney in California. And she did it all while carrying a pack on her back.
“Hiking and backpacking are aerobic without pounding the knees like running,” she says. “Hiking provides overall strength training: You can increase the weight you carry and you use muscles in a natural way, rather than repetitive movements of weightlifting.”
McCarthy started hiking when she turned 50. At the time, she was dealing with the stresses of her mother’s death and her youngest child leaving home. She says hiking is “a tonic for the mid-life trifecta,” and a great chance to get outdoors.
“I love the remote trails in the mountains but they can be inaccessible in winter so, this year, I’m exploring parts of the Carolina Thread Trail [closer to home in Charlotte] and having a marvelous time,”McCarthy says.
“Hiking is a great way to get a cardio workout and strengthen your lower body—and the steeper the incline, the more it engages your core,” Cohen says. “If you add poles, you get a bit of an upper body workout, too.”
If you prefer walking to hiking (or need a quick workout that doesn’t require driving to a hiking trail), Cohen suggests maintaining a brisk pace, choosing routes with hills and holding two- or three-pound weights to build strength and get a better calorie burn.
Whether walking or hiking, wear good shoes and stay on sidewalks or marked trails. If you plan to walk in the evening, wear a reflective vest or add reflective tape to your clothing. Hikers should also be prepared with plenty of water, snacks, layers of clothing, maps and a cell phone in case of emergencies.
