The Benefit of Warm Up Before Hiking

Heading straight from the car onto a steep, technical trail leaves your muscles stiff, joints unstable, and your body underprepared for the miles ahead. Taking at least 10-15 minutes to properly warm up before hiking activates your full body while reducing injury risks out on the trail. Follow this complete sequence of dynamic warm-up exercises to do before hiking. You’ll quickly notice the difference in how fluidly you move and how efficiently you function once on the path.

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Why Warm Up Before Hiking Matters

Here’s how taking time to warm up your body before hitting the trail helps:

• Boosts circulation – Gets your blood pumping to supply oxygen and nutrients to working muscles.
• Raises core body temperature – Warms up muscles and tissues so they contract more powerfully and respond faster.
• Activates muscles – Prepares all the stabilizers, movers, and fixators you’ll rely on hiking so they fire properly.
• Improves mobility and range of motion – Warm tissues allow you to move joints through their fullest range of motion.
• Reduces muscle stiffness and next-day soreness – Moving muscles through their full dynamic range helps prevent micro-tears later.
• Heightens proprioception – Warmup movements sharpen awareness of body positioning, enhancing footing and reactions.

Don’t pass up these key benefits! Take at least 10-15 minutes before each hike to warm up through the following head-to-toe sequence.

Full Body Warm-Up Exercises and Sequence

Move through these warm-up exercises before hiking in order from the ground up:

Ankles:

• Seated with legs outstretched, rotate ankles slowly 10 times clockwise and counterclockwise through a full range of motion.

Calves:

• Standing facing a tree or wall, place your hands on it for balance. Shift weight into one leg, allowing the opposite heel to lift and the calf to stretch. Hold for 30 seconds then switch legs. Repeat 2-3 times each side.

Hips:

• Stand with feet wide apart. Rotate hips 10 times clockwise and counterclockwise while keeping feet stable.

Walking Lunges:

• Step forward into a lunge, bending both knees to 90 degrees. Step back through to return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times on each leg, focusing on balance.

Squats:

• Feet shoulder width apart. Keeping your back straight and core braced, push your hips back and bend your knees as if sitting in a chair. Drive through heels back to start. Repeat 10 times.

High Skips:

• Skip forward briskly, bringing knees high towards the chest. Pump arms to propel motion. Maintain an upright posture. Repeat for 60 seconds.

Butt Kickers:

• Walk or jog forward while kicking heels up towards the glutes. Rapid hamstring turnover preps them for ascents. Repeat for 60 seconds.

Torso Twists:

• Feet wide, arms straight out. Engage the core and slowly rotate your torso side to side with control. Repeat 10 times in each direction.

Shoulder Rolls:

• Roll shoulders smoothly forward and backward 10 times through the full range of motion.

Perform movements fluidly yet controlled through your full range of motion. Get the blood pumping to those hiking muscles!

Dynamic Stretches to Include in Your Warm-Up

Integrate these dynamic stretches into your warm up before hiking that mimic trail movements:

• Walking Lunges with a Twist – Add a torso rotation while lunging to open up core and hip mobility.
• Lateral Lunges – Step wide to the side and lower down into a side lunge, keeping the chest lifted.
• Back and Forth Leg Swings – Balance on one leg, swinging the other leg forward and backward to open the hips.
• Side to Side Leg Swings – Balance on one leg, swinging the other across the body from side to side.

These sport-specific exercises awaken often-neglected stabilizers needed when footing over variable trail terrain.

Listen to Your Body

As you fine-tune your go-to warm-up routine before hiking, keep these tips in mind:

• Focus extra time on tight or frequently used muscles like calves, glutes, and hamstrings based on your common hiking terrain.
• Move through a full range of motion with control. Avoid any strain, sharp pain, or compromised alignment.
• Get your heart rate elevated but save high-intensity exertion for when muscles are fully warmed up.
• Stay hydrated before and during your warm-up to enhance tissue pliability and performance.
• Jog in place or jump rope before dynamic movements to further boost your heart rate if needed.

Investing just 10-15 minutes before hitting the trail properly warms up body and mind for the miles ahead. Follow this warm up before hiking routine and you’ll quickly notice improvements in how fluidly and efficiently you move down the path.

Related Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiking