GET SWEATY: Get the most out of your Hike.
Photography by Shannon Bailey | Lil Bird Photography
Do you have a hike planned soon? Why not turn your hike into an outdoor bootcamp?! Here are some of our favorite ways to get a little more out of your hike:
- Plyometrics. Adding up and down movement to a hike adds a new level of intensity. Just include short intervals of skipping and hopping, which helps engage muscle groups that may not be used otherwise. To really step things up, you can add short bursts of trail running.
- Use trees and boulders! It's amazing how easy it is to turn nature into gym equipment. You can do incline push-ups off of trees or use boulders for triceps dips.
- Why walk when you can lunge? You can really challenge yourself when hiking up an incline by doing a set of walking lunges. Work your arms by using rocks as dumbbells to add bicep curls or lateral raises.
Here's our favorite hiking workout!
- Walk 15 minutes, building to a moderate pace.
- Do 30 High-Knee Steps forward (alternating legs); skip for 30 seconds, then walk at a moderate pace for one minute.
- Do 15 Traveling Lateral Squats (turn and move sideways as you squat) in slow motion, followed by five Squat Jumps (squat slightly, then swing arms up as you jump). Knee problems? Rise up on your toes instead of jumping.
- Walk at a moderate pace for 10 minutes.
- Repeat step 2.
- Walk for five minutes at a moderate pace, then five minutes at a slow pace to cool down.
Do you have a favorite hiking spot? Share with us by commenting below or using #estcalifornia on your social channels. We love hearing from you!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lindsay Vacek has a passion for style, details and design. As a Fashion Editorial Photographer, she's worked in the Entertainment Industry for over 10 years and has a love for adventure and travel. She spends her spare time globe-trotting her way through foreign countries and loves new cultures, food, music and the arts.
Being a California Native, Lindsay loves meeting new people and sharing her version of life with others. With an infinite list of things-to-do, places-to-go and sights-to-see - she believe everyone can have a little more California in their own lives.