Whenever most people think about hiking, they think of reaching the top of a mountain that stands tall above the surrounding landscape. The view from above, especially at sunrise or sunset, is usually majestic and breathtaking to say the least. However, you cannot magically teleport from the foot of the mountain all the way to its peak. Instead, you have to drag yourself along the steep sloping side of the mountain until you reach the summit. This can be quiet challenging, both mentally and physically. But, with these tips for hiking uphill I’ll be sharing with you in this article, you’ll be better prepared to conquer almost any mountain!
How To Hike Uphill Without Getting Tired?
Use the following tips to improve your physical and mental ability to hike uphill the next time you go on a mountain adventure.
1. Start with a warmup
Hiking uphill is certainly not an easy feat, especially when the elevation gain is significant. Preparing your muscles for what’s coming will definitely help. Spend a few minutes walking on flat terrain, then stretch your lower body muscles before you start climbing.
2. Keep your feet moving
Imagine yourself pushing the pedals of a bicycle when hiking uphill. This will help you establish a rhythm of controlled short steps instead of taking long strides. Short and quick steps allow your muscles to stay engaged and benefit from momentum that will propel you upwards. On the other hand, long strides will put a lot of pressure on your knees and muscles, which will have you feeling tired and might throw you off balance .
3. Consider using trekking poles
Whether you’re hiking uphill or downhill, hiking poles are excellent equipment to be using in those situations. Trekking poles provide you with an extra point of contact with the ground, which improves your balance and helps you avoid tripping and falling. More importantly, when hiking uphill, they allow your arms to take some of the burden of carrying you forward as you climb upward. Your quads, glutes and calves will certainly appreciate the “helping hand” (literally).
4. Control your pace
Don’t get too excited and start running or even jumping while you walk uphill. This will exhaust you and end up slowing you down overall. The better way is to find a pace that you can keep up consistently throughout your ascent. Even if you get tired, you can easily recover by taking a break. Which brings us to the next tip…
5. Take short breaks
First off, avoid the mistake of not listening to the signs your body gives you when you get tired. No, you should not power through! There’s nothing wrong with taking a break when you’re literally out of breath. It won’t diminish your achievement in any way. Instead, take a quick break as required and leave your backpack on either by leaning on your hiking poles, against a tree or by sitting on a rock. When you take a long break and allow your body to cool down, it’ll be so much harder to get back on your feet and resume.
6. Wear sturdy hiking footwear
The choice of hiking footwear is extremely important in mountainous trails. When hiking uphill or downhill, you need to make sure your shoes have excellent traction and support capabilities. I personally prefer hiking boots but you can also use trail running shoes if that’s your weapon of choice. Good quality hiking footwear will give you better stability and enhance your grip on the ground. This will reduce the risk of slipping and tripping which could result in serious injuries.
7. Maintain proper posture
It’s very important that you keep your body almost straight while slightly leaning forward as you walk uphill. Avoid leaning too far in either direction as that will make it harder to stay balanced. Also, make sure you consciously engage your core muscles. Doing so will assist your other muscles in carrying you forward and reduce the chance of lower back pain.
8. Mind your backpack
On the topic of back pain, let’s talk about how crucial your backpack is when it comes to hiking uphill. Choosing the right backpack that fits your torso size is extremely crucial for any hiking, but even more key when ascending or descending. Avoid packing things you do not need for your hike, as this will only add to your fatigue and may compromise your balance. Additionally, make sure you tighten your hip belt to fit properly around your waist. Adjust your sternum strap until you start to feel it pulling your shoulders together. This will help keep the pack stable and balanced on your back, especially when walking on rough terrain.
9. Feed your body
Walking uphill exerts a lot more energy than hiking downhill or on flat terrain. We always recommend you fuel your body when hiking, but it’s critically more important to do so when hiking uphill. Don’t play mind games where you convince yourself that you need to get to the top before you can have a snack. Instead, listen to your body and feed it with sugars that will give you the needed energy to make your way to the top. Keep the snacks accessible (ex: in the pockets of your hip-belt) so you can easily get to them on the move and fuel up whenever you feel you’re low on energy.
10. Zig-zag your way up
When hiking steep hills or mountains, avoid moving straight. Instead, move sideways in a series of zig-zags as this will make it much easier to tackle the steep slope.
11. Celebrate progress on the way up
Climbing up for extended periods of time is not just physically demanding, but also requires patience and perseverance, especially when the top is nowhere in sight. I know from personal experience that sometimes it feels like I’m never going reach the summit. And I know that other people feel the same way, because on the way back down, almost everyone else going up asks the same question: “is the top still too far away?” My answer is almost always reassuring when I tell them “you’re almost there, keep going!”
One way you can lift yourself up, mentally, is by visualizing your progress and celebrating your accomplishment every time you complete a milestone. The way you do that is by identifying landmarks along the way. At the foot of the mountain, choose a tree or a rock or anything you can easily identify. Walk towards it, then identify your next landmark while you celebrate the progress you’ve made so far. You can even reward yourself with a quick break and a snack.
12. Distract yourself
Along the same lines of the previous tip, it’s important to distract yourself from the lingering thought of questioning when you’ll get to the top. The easiest way to do so is hiking with a partner or a group and having a conversation. Whenever I hike with my wife, we end up having some of the deepest talks. This often makes it so much easier to complete the trail. Sometimes it can get too distracting that we need to consciously pause, look around us, and enjoy the views.
On the other hand, if you’re hiking solo and have no one to talk to, I find it very useful to do any of the following:
- Try to identify certain patterns or changes in the terrain around you. Alternatively, if you’re into birding or wildlife spotting, observe and listen carefully for any birds or animals around you.
- Hiking alone is an excellent opportunity for thinking and reflecting. Allow your mind to wander and tackle any challenges you might be struggling with in your business or personal life.
- Listen to a podcast, but make sure the volume is not too high so you can still be aware of your surroundings.
What Are The Benefits Of Hiking Uphill?
So far the article has been focused on tips for hiking uphill, but is walking uphill and climbing steep mountains worth the effort? Let’s see what these benefits might be.
Excellent cardio
Uphill hiking gets your heart rate up, improving the health of your heart and circulatory system. This, in turn, can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Additionally, it often involves increased breathing and deeper inhalation, which can contribute to improved lung capacity and respiratory function.
Burns more calories
Walking uphill requires more energy compared to walking on flat terrain. This increased energy demand can lead to a significant increase in calorie expenditure. As a result, this will help you maintain a healthy weight or support weight loss goals.
Strengthens your lower body
Hiking uphill engages a variety of muscles, particularly in your lower body. As you climb, your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves contract to provide power and stability. Such workout strengthens these muscles, improving your overall strength and endurance.
Improves your endurance
Hiking uphill challenges your heart and lungs to work harder, effectively increasing your cardiovascular endurance. This enhanced endurance translates into better performance in other activities, from running to everyday tasks, and even hiking for longer distances.
How To Build Up Stamina For Hiking Uphill?
Start slow. Hike trails with minimal elevation, then tackle more difficult trails time after time. However, in addition to practicing in the wild, there are things you can do off the trail to help you train for hiking uphill.
- Strength training: As we’ve seen above, it’s important to engage different muscle groups of your whole body when hiking uphill. However, focus on some of the exercises that give you more bang for your buck on the trail. Here are a few exercises that target the most important muscle groups for uphill hiking:
- Glutes: Goblet squats, hip thrusts, barbell glute bridges
- Quadriceps: Barbell squats, leg extensions, walking lunges, leg press
- Hamstrings: Stiff-legged or Romanian deadlifts, leg curls, good-mornings
- Calves: Calf raises, calf press
- Core: sit-ups, planks, leg raises
- Stair climbing: Whenever you have the choice between climbing the stairs or taking the elevator, choose the first option. Also, if you you’re a gym-goer and you happen to have a StairMaster machine there, make sure you show it some love at least twice a week.
- Cycling: Similar to lower-body strength training, cycling engages and strengthens all of the muscles which are important for uphill walking. Additionally, cycling helps you develop endurance that is crucially needed for hiking uphill.
- Walking / Jogging: There’s no form of exercise that will prepare you for hiking than, well… walking! And the closest simulation of hiking uphill would be walking or running on an incline. That could either be close to home if you live in a hilly area, or if you have access to a treadmill which you can set on an incline.
Tips For Hiking Uphill: Final Thoughts
Hiking in nature has been shown to have significant benefits for mental health. The combination of physical activity, fresh air, and exposure to nature can reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance overall well-being. Tackle the laborious task of hiking uphill with a positive mindset by looking at the bigger picture and the promise of conquering one challenge after the other. I hope these tips for hiking uphill are going to help you do just that!
Do you have any more tips you’d like to share from your experience? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!