Hiking for exercise?

[danny28]

My wife just told me that she is going to bring her "walking buddies" up to our house this weekend. They normally walk in town with limited hills. I had to laugh and I thought these poor ladies. She is going to take them on our 5-mile hike. It's a ton of hills and uneven ground. I don't know if they know what they are getting themselves into. I might just tag along to see how they do!

[Barney]

I don't like to hike for exercise, because I like a good tempo and uneven terrain is no the best choice for ankles. I prefer the usual workouts.

[ppine]

Five miles is no big deal even for older people with the right mental attitude. How can people stay interested in the outdoors if they can't walk outside?

[Quinn]

Hiking is exercise, period. If you hike you are burning calories and helping your muscles. At least that is what I tell my wife to keep her from making me go to the gym with her. It must be true because she accepts it without complaint.

[IndianaHiker]

Problem for me and hiking for exercise is I cant get out often enough to it to me me any good. If you hike once a week that really is not enough timed per week you any good. Any more I only manage to get out once every couple of months so that is not helping at all. The old saying every little bit helps just really doesn't apply to exercise has to be consistent.

[ppine]

For those with limited time, park at the outer edge of some large shopping mall and walk quickly around the stores in bad weather. Walk to lunch. Park the car and walk everywhere while shopping. Do other countries have drive-in liquor stores?

For any American that has not traveled to an old European type city built in the horse drawn days, I highly recommend it. Travel there and do not rent a car. Walk and use the public transportation. It is any eye openinig experience. People in most other countries walk a lot. In a 3 week trip to central and northern Italy I saw fewer fat people than on the plane ride home full of Americans.

[kreso93]

You'd have to be in a really bad condition not to be able to walk for 5 miles. Damn, I can run more than 5 miles and I smoke lol

[Pathfinder1]

Originally Posted by kreso93

Damn, I can run more than 5 miles and I smoke lol

Hi...


You smoke, after running only five miles? Wow...!!

[carmen]

Do not be surprised at all if they end up doing better than you think. A ton of exercising training I did years ago was based on the resistance people deal with going up and down those crazy country hills.

[aldove]

Let me know how your weekend goes. I bet they're more than willing to do this just to wake up those muscles that have been resting for too long. It would be harder for them to hike if they wear their flip flops instead of hiking shoes.