Hiking and walking are accepted as some of the best ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle and go a long way to building a healthy mind, body, and soul. The only requirements are a strong mind, the will to walk, and the legs to carry you. Here are some simple tips to build stronger hiking legs that will serve to make your outdoor walks and hikes more enjoyable, with less recovery time needed after each hike.

Walk More Often and for Longer Distances

If it’s hiking that you want to do, then the best way to get hike ready is to walk. It’s got to be a daily pastime and something that you do more and more of, in any given situation. Don’t take the lift, park further away, walk to the local shops, and then just walk some more. The more you walk, the better the muscle memory becomes, and the stronger the legs become for your next big hike. Many hikers include a weekly run, but there is no need if you’re walking as much as possible and ensure that you then also do the other exercises below.

Leg Weight Training

It makes sense to focus your efforts on building your leg muscles and the only way to build muscles is to use weights and resistance training exercises. Some of the best leg training can be done with kettlebell weights as these are recognized as better for the back than long bar weights for leg-training squats. Furthermore, there are so many great kettlebell squat exercises to do in this regard. You can source the weights and simply do the exercises at home.

Step-Ups

Step-ups target the quads and glutes, which are some of the main muscles that will be used for serious hiking. All you need is a set of steps or a step-up box, then simply vary the workout around step-ups at different rates and speeds. The step up will serve to build calves and quads as well as strengthen tendons and the ankle, which are key stress points for long hikes.

Stretching

Stretching is heavily underrated but is one of the only ways to improve the range of motion through key joints. Stretching both increases the endurance abilities of the joints and muscles as well as reduces the aches and pains after the hike. So, the idea is to stretch regularly and then increase these stretches before your hike to warm up, and then warm down after.

Hiking is a great pastime and many wrongly believe that it’s just walking in the hills, when it’s a lot more than this. Long-distance hiking and long walks require that you have trained and prepared the body, or you will run afoul of lengthy painful recovery times and the inability to hike every weekend or to do the more challenging routes out there. Strengthening your legs by using the tips that we have provided herein should be the first step for every hiker to ensure that they can perform at their best all the time.