If you need a new way to incorporate exercise into your next conversion van adventure, why not give hiking a try?Although other exercise options are more effective at building strength and burning calories, hiking provides a constantly changing challenge. Many other exercises, including running and weight-lifting, bore people due to constant repetition. If you don't enjoy your exercise activities, you're less likely to keep up a consistent exercise plan. Hiking outdoors gives you the chance to see beautiful vistas, interesting wildlife and diverse plant life. Read ahead for some tips on how you can turn your next trip in your conversion van into a great new hiking adventure.
How to Maximize a Hiking Workout
If you want to try to get a good workout from hiking, you'll have to do more than take a gentle walk through the woods. First, you need to get your heart rate up if you want to burn calories and improve your fitness. Your heart rate target depends on your age and fitness level, but the average individual should aim for 90 to 145 beats per minute. If you can get your heart rate into this range as you hike, you'll get an excellent workout. To reach this heart rate, you'll probably need to climb strenuous and challenging trails. A trail with plenty of elevation change will get your heart pumping.
Watch Your Progress
To help increase the effectiveness of your hikes, you should log your distance. All types of exercise activities suffer from the same problem; over time, your body becomes used to the exertion, causing the effectiveness of the workout to decrease. This is usually referred to as plateauing. If your intensity begins to decrease during your hikes, the calorie burn will drop as well. To deal with this issue, you should start measuring the distance of your hikes. As your endurance continues to improve, gradually increase the distance you hike. If you're hiking to lose weight, you need to work on reducing the amount of time it takes you to hike a certain distance. To do this, you will need to significantly increase your hiking speed.
How to Make Hiking Fun
Hiking helps motivate you to get out of the house and the gym. While you hike, you can enjoy the beauty of nature and burn plenty of calories at the same time. Although it may take a long time before hiking becomes a chore to you, it's still possible to get bored with it. If you want to mix up your routine, try to expand your hiking trail repertoire. Don't be afraid to try new trails. You can also consider taking short weekend trips to campgrounds and other outdoor destinations within a few hours of your home. These places can usually offer you some diverse trail options.
If you're still feeling bored, try inviting a friend along. Your friend can help you to stay devoted to your fitness goals. Your friend might also have a few ideas on some new trails you can try. If you choose to hike with a friend, you'll be able to socialize together and discuss your favorite topics. If you can't find a friend or family member to hike with you, take your dog. Dogs love to go outside and can provide good motivation to help you get off the couch and onto the trail.