November 17 is National Take a Hike day! We hope you will consider hitting the trials on this day (or any day for that matter!). Hiking has so many benefits, including: elevating heart rate and boosting circulation, releasing endorphins and improving mood, and it’s a great way to exercise our quads, glutes, calves and intrinsic foot muscles. Here a few tips before you hit the trail:
- Plan your trial: choose a distance that is something that is feasible for your current fitness levels (remember hiking usually involves a lot of hills, and some lengthy trails). Choose a hike that you feel comfortable with. Consider checking out an app such as All trials to get helpful route information and read reviews.
- Pack snacks: some of my go-to snacks for a hike include: trail mix, apples, cheese slices and of course plenty of water!
- Warm up properly: be sure to take 5 minutes to engage in whole body dynamic movements to gradually increase your heart rate and increase circulation to your muscles.
- Wear appropriate shoes/boots: with the fall weather, remember there could be a lot of mud and leaves, on top of the already uneven terrain, which could pose risk for falls.
- Cool down: once you’ve given yourself a pat on the back or your hiking buddy a high 5, be sure to take a few minutes to stretch and drink lots of water to rehydrate.
Where is your favourite place to hike? Let us know in the comments as we always love checking out new trails!
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