Ready, set, hike: use the great indoors to prepare for your adventure in the great outdoors

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, March, 2004 by Dimity McDowell

i'LL NEVER FORGET MY FIRST HIKE after moving to Santa Fe, NM, a town nestled in the mountains at 7,000 feet. Having moved from New York City, where I lapped the 6-mile Central Park loop so many times I was on a first-name basis with the squirrels, I thought I was in shape. And I was--for running, not hiking. About three miles into our five-mile hike on rolling terrain, my quads began stinging as I held myself back on downhills, and they didn't stop complaining for three days. My back, unused to carrying a pack filled with water, a camera and snacks, felt strained. My heart and lungs, unfamiliar with the demands of altitude, made my breathing sound like I was being chased by a bear. I quickly realized that the only thing running on pavement and hiking in the woods have in common is that you put one foot in front of the other.

Hiking has very specific physical demands that require focused preparation. "We have a lot of city slickers who work out regularly, but they still easily hit the wall while hiking," says Nancy Ottmann, director of health and fitness services at the Red Mountain Spa in St. George, UT, and a trainer certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. "One of the biggest challenges is the terrain."

Chances are, on a hike you'll encounter elevation, rocky, root-filled terrain and uneven surfaces that make you climb, tiptoe and otherwise contort your body into unfamiliar positions. "You're always going to have an adventure on a hike," says Ottmann. "That's the best part of it."

The good news is that you can successfully prepare yourself for hikes of all lengths in the great indoors, a.k.a. the gym. By improving your endurance, balance and strength, the three main components of hiking, you'll be ready for all kinds of outdoor adventures.

EXTEND YOUR ENDURANCE

Given the watch-where-you're-stepping terrain, the high altitude (especially if you're west of the Mississippi) and, of course, the stops for scenic views, you'll be on a hike for much longer than you'd be on a run or walk of the same distance. The best way to prepare your body for long days on the trail is simply to work your heart at least five days a week. David Musnick, MD, a sports medicine physician in Bellevue, WA, and coauthor of Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness (Mountaineers Books, 1999), recommends keeping your heart rate between 70 and 80 percent of its maximum. To find this target zone, subtract your age from 220, and then multiply by 0.7 and 0.8. So, a 30-year-old would stay between 133 and 152 beats per minute. Keep in mind that this formula is extremely rough, and individual heart rates vary a lot. Basically, you want to be in a zone where you're working up a sweat but are still able to carry on a limited conversation.

The ideal piece of equipment to train on is the Stepmill, also known as the Gauntlet, the escalator-like stair machine that requires you to pick up your feet with every step. "Nothing prepares you for hiking the way that the Gauntlet does," says Charlie Kowalski, manager for outdoor sports at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, AZ. If your gym doesn't have one, try the treadmill at a slight incline, like 3 percent, a regular stepper or an elliptical trainer. Once a week, pick up the pace, shorten the length of your exercise session and add intervals--one minute hard, one minute easy--or do a challenging hill program on the treadmill. If you're just preparing for a day hike, don't worry about wearing a pack while you exercise. Because your heart rate on a hike will be slower than it is during your gym workout, you'll have enough energy to compensate for the extra weight you'll be carrying.

BOOSTING YOUR BALANCE

Often the most overlooked aspect of hiking, balance is crucial. It's what keeps you upright when the boulder you're standing on suddenly slips. To enhance your balance, Ottmann recommends taking a class like Core Reebok, which uses an unstable platform, or hip-hop dance. "It forces you to connect your neuromuscular system with your brain," she says. "You don't know what's coming next, so you have to think about your next step, which is just like hiking."

If you're not up for grooving to J. Lo, you can improve your balance on your own by doing upper-body exercises like front and lateral shoulder raises and biceps curls while standing on one foot or on a balance board. You can also try the clock leg reach, recommended by Musnick: Stand on your left leg, knee slightly bent, and lift your right leg off the ground. Pretend you're in the middle of a clock, and touch 10:00 twice with your right foot, then 11:00, and work your way back to 7:00. Then repeat on your left leg, starting at 1:00, and going back to 5:00.

MAXIMIZING YOUR MUSCLE

Even if your heart is marathon-ready and your balance is trapeze-worthy, you won't get far unless your lower-body muscles--quads, glutes, calves, hamstrings--have plenty of oomph. Uphills require glutes of steel, downhills tax the quads, and simple mileage can turn even the most sculpted legs into noodles. While the Gauntlet and balance exercises work your legs, you also need to strengthen your whole body. Aim for strength training two days a week; three is ideal. Lunges should be a staple of any program. (You can start without dumbbells and gradually add weight, and you can do traditional alternating lunges or walking lunges across the room.) Step-ups and step-downs (starting on top of the step) on a 4- to 8-inch step are perfect preparation for ascents and descents. "Aim for 12 to 15 reps, and three sets apiece," advises Ottmann, emphasizing that you want to build muscular endurance as well as strength.