Hiking For Exercise

I had the opportunity to go hiking in the Shenandoah National Park yesterday with my husband and two daughters. We chose the White Oak  and Cedar Run Canyons for their beautiful streams and waterfalls. The loop we took was about 8 miles overall and I would say a medium difficulty level. I am currently training to hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim in May and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in July, so I need to get those muscles moving. And you discover muscles you didn't even know you had when you hike let me tell you. Based on how sore I am this morning, I now know how far I have to go to be ready for these upcoming challenges. We're going again next Saturday and then once more when I return from Italy. The only way to build those muscles is to use them!! In between the hikes I'm going to need to run and do squats and take the stairs! Wish me luck.

I truly believe that hiking is one of the best forms of exercise available. It works those big muscles in your legs like nothing else can. You get outside in the fresh air and sunshine and enjoy the beautiful views that only nature can provide. And if you hike with someone else you have long hours to talk and bond with them. If you go it alone you have ample time to think and ponder your life. If you use trekking poles you can get a bit of an upper body workout as well. Hiking is definitely one of the best ways to build muscle strength and cardio health simultaneously. While having fun too. A great website for hikes in Virginia and West Virginia is Hiking Upward. Today is the first day of Spring...perfect time to get outside for a hike. You can burn between 550 and 600 calories an hour on hills so Enjoy!