# Hiking

> Walking uphill on a trail with short, quick steps to build leg endurance and cardio fitness.

Page: https://fitnessie.app/exercises/hiking/
Type: Cardio · Cardio
Demo video: https://fitnessie.app/demos/hiking/58e4bb5d4dfce797.mp4

## How to do it

1. Start up the trail at a pace you can hold, with your torso over your hips.
2. Lean slightly into the hill from the ankles, not from the waist.
3. Shorten your steps and keep your step rate, or quicken it to hold your pace.
4. Place each foot flat on the slope and step up without lifting your knee high.
5. Swing your arms opposite to your legs and keep a steady rhythm.

## Key cues

- Shorter steps, like a lower gear
- Keep the step rate up
- Lean from the ankles
- Low knee lift
- Arms swing opposite the legs

## Common mistakes

- Taking long, slow steps up the hill
- Bending forward from the waist
- Leaning backward
- Lifting the knees too high

## Muscles worked

- Primary: Quads and glutes

## Equipment

None.

## References

- [Verywell Fit: Benefits of Walking Uphill and How to Do It Right](https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-walk-uphill-3435575)
- [Popular Science: How to hike uphill faster and more efficiently](https://www.popsci.com/diy/faster-uphill-hike/)