Hiking over ordinary terrain requires being able to keep up a steady pace for several hours, with short rest breaks (10 min or so) in between once per hour. But creeks, steep or slippery slopes and hikes at high altitudes can make that almost impossible. In short, your technique has to be tailored to the actual conditions.
Ordinary walking speed on level ground is between 2-4 miles per hour. At that pace a person will burn about 50-150 calories per hours. Compare that with the amount of calories...

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Hiking sounds like, to use a very old phrase, a cakewalk - something easy. You lace up some boots, slip on some shorts and a shirt and you're on your way. What could be easier?
Certainly, some hikes are that easy. And they should be. Not every hike has to be a three-day outing in the peaks of Colorado. Not every journey involves navigating through forests, across rivers and over mountain passes. Sometimes you just want some fresh air and a little exercise.
But once you expand your...

Outdoors

Hiking is not exactly like walking in the park. Gravel and soft dirt, hills, creeks and other natural features make maintaining a good rhythm over a long distance a real challenge. Also, for anything longer than a few hour hike, most will want to carry a backpack. That makes hiking distinctly different from just a casual walk in the forest.
Getting prepared for the adventure involves getting fit. Once you've built up some leg and back strength, and jogged to get some endurance, you're ready...

Outdoors

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Outdoors

One of the first things someone new to hiking should do is get in shape. That's especially true if you've been sitting on the couch for the last few months or more. Hiking most obviously uses the leg muscles, but virtually every muscle group is involved. Also, it requires very good cardiovascular and lung capacity to complement muscular stamina.
Here are a few simple exercises to help you build all those for tackling those hills and streams.
As with any exercise routine, you should...

Outdoors