So..the big question, Is hiking good for weight loss? The answer is a definite YES! This should provide you with major motivation to get on the trails. Excellent for fitness? Yes! The hard work of going up and down elevation, wearing a backpack, using hiking poles, and contracting major muscle groups in your body for hours at a time will help you lose weight in a gradual and safe manner and help you stay fit for life.
Hiking is one of the best exercises you can do to burn calories, maintain or increase your fitness and to enjoy the beauty of nature. Not only do you burn more calories than you do going on a simple walk, but you get to be outdoors in a natural setting. Hiking can become much more than an exercise you do in order to lose weight — it can become a lifelong activity.
Perhaps you are in a place right now where you have tried hiking, but found it difficult. Maybe you had to stop every few minutes and try to catch your breath or you feel that others were looking at you in a condescending and judgmental way. Don’t let this discourage you! Anyone can start hiking regardless of their fitness level. If you can climb stairs, then you can hike in Mother Nature’s gym where you can achieve the ultimate workout.
{Some of the links in this guide go to my trusted affiliates. You pay nothing extra, and TrailFitEssentials.com may make a small commission. Thank you so much for supporting this website and helping to inspire others to be healthy outdoors!}
Benefits of hiking for weight loss
- Hiking will reduce your risk of hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease drastically.
- Hiking can increase the density of your bones, effectively reversing the effects of osteoporosis.
- Hiking releases the adrenaline in your body that builds up from a stressful work week, reducing stress and anxiety.
- Hiking has been proven to improve sleep at night.
- Hiking keeps your cardiorespiratory system healthy, and will give your muscles more endurance.
Overall, hiking is a fun and healthy way to lose weight. If you are new to hiking, start with the shorter hikes, begin with lower elevations and then work your way to more difficult hikes. If you would like help with this, check out my article on Long Distance Hiking that includes hiking plans.
Choose destinations that have beautiful look outs so you can reward yourself with the view at the top. Many women who start hiking find that they not only get healthier, but they improve other areas of their life as well. Set goals and do not stop until you reach them, no matter how much you want to give up!
Hiking For Weight Loss-Definition of Fitness
The National Academy of Sports Medicine defines Fitness as the
“Condition of being physically fit and healthy and involves attributes that include, but are not limited to mental acuity, cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition, and flexibility”.
Hiking meets and exceeds every single one of these components!
Even though there is a standard definition of fitness, each person can have their own understanding of what fitness means. To some, being fit means the ability to run a marathon or lift heavy weights. To others, it could mean they walk around the block without breathing hard. How you define fitness is influenced by your goals, physical abilities and interests.
With hiking to lose weight, you need to keep your definition of fitness within a healthy framework. This means having realistic expectations and goals when you start hiking. Set small and attainable goals to lose weight and don’t give too much power to the numbers. Hiking and Fitness go hand in hand! Hiking on a regular basis burns major calories and combining this with healthy nutrition should result in you losing weight.
Be smart about hiking for weight loss
Choose hiking trails that are challenging but ones that you won’t feel defeated. You can start with some urban hiking and go up small hills or just walk around your city. Then, hit the trails and work up to longer hikes and gradually increase the elevation gain.
Get into the mode of training for a hike in your daily routine. Take the stairs instead of elevators and escalators, park as far away from the front door as possible, get up from your desk every hour and stretch, and incorporate a daily walk. Rather than going to the movie or shopping with your girlfriends, plan to go hiking instead.
To stay motivated and track your progress, I suggest keeping a hiking diary/log to track mileage, thoughts while you’re hiking, what you saw, and anything else that you think is important to note. Focus on the experiences you have in your Journal- and not your weight loss. I love writing in a journal, but if you’d like to digital here’s is an app titled, Hiker’s logbook.
You May Also Want to Read: How Can Hiking Transform Your Body
Hiking Nutrition for Weight Loss
If you plan on hiking to shed those unwanted pounds, you need a systematic plan to ensure you are getting the right nutrition and fluid intake.
The mechanics of hiking is only one side of the coin when you are hiking to lose weight. You must also give a great amount of consideration to the food you are eating. If you see food in a negative light, then try to reframe how you think about it.
Food is fuel for your body and energy for your muscles which is necessary to be healthy. You can save your favorite snacks, (chocolate for instance) for the trail and not as a food you keep at home.
Just as you wouldn’t tackle a steep trail without the right gear, you shouldn’t embark on a hiking-weight loss program without considering your nutritional needs. It’s crucial to fuel your body with the right balance of nutrients to power through your hikes and aid in recovery afterwards. Carbohydrates provide the energy you need on the trail, while proteins are essential for muscle repair post-hike.
You don’t want to deprive yourself of food, but you want to eat the right foods. . To hike for weight loss, the focus will be on your adipose cells. The actual weight loss involves shrinking the size of these adipose (aka “fat” cells). Here is a great resource on more information regarding the shrinking of adipose cells.
If the body thinks it’s being starved, the adipose cells become even more efficient at storing excess nutrient molecules. They hoard your energy- which means you could hit a weight plateau and stay there.
It’s okay to snack regularly on the hiking trail and to make frequent stops to drink water. For a 4 hour day hike, it is recommended you take at least 4 liters (1 liter roughly equates to 4 cups) of water with you and you should drink plenty of water before you hit the trail.
Staying hydrated helps you hike more effectively, as dehydration can lead to fatigue and decreased performance. You’ll want to make sure you’re drinking water before, during, and after your hikes. This aids in digestion and helps prevent overeating, as thirst is often mistaken for hunger.
Related Article>>> Does Hiking Help to Burn Belly Fat
Hiking vs. Walking for Fitness & Weight Loss
Let me start by saying that Walking has amazing benefits! I am a huge advocate for walking as well. There are times when I can’t go to a trail- but want to get outside for exercise. This is when I will walk around my neighborhood or walk to the park.
However, since hiking burns considerably more calories than walking, you are likely to see a noticeable increase in weight loss if you previously stuck to walks around the neighborhood for exercise. A person who is 175 lbs and hikes for two hours on a hilly terrain can burn up to 1,100 calories.
If the same person spends two hours walking on flat terrain, they will burn approximately 500 calories. Over the course of a week, if you hike for a total of six hours, you will lose 1/2 pound more than the walker. In blustery weather, the wind resistance can boost your burn potential by approximately 5 percent, experts say. Hiking is an excellent total-body workout.
When you hike, your body gets hit from many different angles and engages muscle groups you could miss at the gym such as the back, outer thighs and deep core muscles. On trails, you encounter different challenges such as rivers to cross or logs to climb over.
If you hike consistently, you will lose weight safely and in a gradual manner. It is hard work wearing a backpack, using hiking poles with each step, and contracting the major muscle groups for hours at a time.
And..don’t forget the mental benefits of hiking! Which go hand in hand with the physical since the two are inextricably linked. Research shows that just five minutes of exercise in a natural environment boosts your mood. Lush green scenery is more motivating than a gym television permanently stuck on the news.
One study found that backpackers scored 50 percent better on a creativity test after spending four days in the outdoors, disconnected from electronic devices. Our mind can relax when we turn off our cell phones and tablet devices, scientists say, freeing up our imagination.
Hike and Stay Fit with Others
Losing weight can be challenging- and hiking is difficult when you first start out. Put these two together and you can see why many women lose motivation and give up. But not you!
If you are not part of a hiking group or don’t have friends that hike- no worries! There are numerous hiking groups on a site called meetup.com. If you live in the Phoenix area and you’re over 50, I welcome you to join our Weekly Hikes!
When you do join a Group (Best Practices)
- You can bring homemade trail snacks to share with the group- make them high carbohydrate/protein/low fat nutrients.
- Say hi during the week- or get together with coffee/lunches. Be a friend and lift eachothers spirits even when you’re not hiking.
- Celebrate your weight loss goals together!
- Keep hiking, no matter what obstacles come your way!
- Stay Connected on the FaceBook Groups/Social Media
Best Practices-Supporting Your Weight Loss Journey
Interval training. It involves alternating between bouts of high-intensity walking or hiking and periods of rest or lower intensity. Adding this element to your hikes can help boost your metabolism and burn more fat.
Consistency is key. Choose a schedule and stick to it, whether that’s twice a week or every other day. And don’t forget about variety; different trails can challenge your body in new ways and keep motivation high.
Take steps to recover after each hike to make it easier to go again! Take time for proper recovery by stretching and perhaps using foam rollers to reduce muscle soreness. Recovery time isn’t wasted time—it’s an integral part of improving fitness and supporting weight loss.
In tandem with your hiking endeavors, you should also consider how your lifestyle choices off the trail impact your goals. Sleep quality, stress levels, and everyday activity all contribute to your weight loss success. By ensuring you’re getting enough sleep and managing stress effectively, you’re setting yourself up for better performance on your hikes and improved overall well-being.
By implementing these smart hiking strategies, you’ll be laying down a solid foundation for weight loss. And as you lose weight and gain fitness, remember to pay attention to what you’re eating to fuel and recover from your hikes.
Hiking for Weight Loss Summary
Hiking for fitness and weight loss have so many amazing benefits! You will find however it’s a cycle of hard work, joy, and reward. It’s a domino effect; women who start hiking to lose weight improve many other areas of their life as well..
Celebrate your milestones. Each peak conquered and every trail completed is a step towards better health and deeper self-appreciation. Reflect on your progress and the strength you’ve gained, both inside and out.
Remember-there’s a community of fellow hikers out there. Joining a group can not only provide motivation but also a wealth of knowledge to further enrich your experience.
So, lace up your boots, pack your essentials, and step out. Every hike is a fresh opportunity to commit to your health, enjoy breathtaking scenery, and meet like-minded adventurers. And who knows? You might just find that the journey towards weight loss is as rewarding as the destination.
If you are just getting started but feel overwhelmed, getting a hiking for weight loss mentor can help! I can work with you one and one and provide you with a step by step hiking plan.
If you have been hiking already for your fitness and weight loss journey, I’d love to hear from you! What has been your experience with hiking for weight loss? Please leave your comments below