LIFESTYLE NEWS - Hiking comes with the perks of fresh air, magnificent views, natural surrounds and health benefits.
Many medical aids are committed to motivating their members to be more active by offering a range of incentives and benefits. With this in mind, hiking is a great way to get your points up as your steps are tracked.
Not only is hiking a good physical exercise, it also clears your head. But, as with any new activity, there are some precautions you need to consider before you get going:
Physical health
Hikes that are longer and more difficult will require a certain level of physical fitness and health, so it is important to make sure to choose a distance that you can finish.
You can also build up to the more challenging trails by doing the following:
Stretching
This warms up the muscles for the adventure. Stretching will help you perform your best and reach your hiking goals.
Cardio
Concentrate on cardiovascular exercise that mainly targets the lower body since the legs are used predominantly on a hike. Walking, cycling, jogging and running are good options that will provide a cardiovascular workout and strengthen the muscles that you’ll be using on your hike. If you can’t get outdoors or to the gym, there are some cardio exercises you can do at home. These include jumping-jacks and leg-raises.
Weight lifting
This will help build your lower and upper body and is useful if you will be carrying a backpack with food and other essentials on long or overnight hikes. You can do squats and lunges with weights as these exercises will also help develop endurance.
