You don’t need to be an athlete to hike, but steady preparation makes the trail more comfortable.
Balance and ankle work help keep you steady on rocks and roots. Build up your walks over weeks. Add leg and core strength on 2 or more days a week, and practice balance about three times a week.
Build up over weeks, not days
Fitness and strength take weeks to months to build.
According to the HHS Physical Activity Guidelines, older adults appear to need 2 to 4 weeks to adapt to each new level of activity.
Mix walking, strength work and rest days. If you have a heart, lung or joint condition, talk with your doctor before you start.
Adding 5 to 15 minutes of walking per session, 2 to 3 times a week, to what you already do carries a low risk of injury. Give each new level 2 to 4 weeks before you add more.
At a brisk 2.5 mph, a 5-mile hike takes about 2 hours.
If an earlier build-up gave you an overuse injury, increase more slowly next time. Slower increases may reduce injury risk.
For more on adding distance slowly, see building hiking endurance gradually. For what regular hiking does for your heart, mood and bones, see the health benefits of hiking.
Walk at a pace where you can still talk
Walking is your main tool for building the aerobic base hiking demands.
A person doing moderate activity can talk, but not sing. The National Park Service puts it simply: if you can talk while walking, you are traveling at the perfect speed.
Spread your walks across the week. The CDC target for adults 65 and older is 150 minutes of moderate activity, such as 30 minutes on 5 days.
Stop if you feel dizzy, get chest pain or pressure, or feel nauseated, and talk to your doctor before your next walk.
Balance exercises lower the rate of falls
A Cochrane review found that balance and functional exercises cut the rate of falls by 24% in older adults living at home.
Try standing on one foot next to a counter, holding on lightly at first. The NIA also lists the heel-to-toe walk, tai chi and yoga as balance exercises. Heel raises and heel walks work the ankles.
Keep a counter, wall or sturdy chair within reach, and let go only as you feel steadier.
Strengthen legs and core on 2 or more days a week
Bodyweight exercises are a good start, and no gym is required.
Squats, step-ups and calf raises work the muscles that carry you uphill.
Planks, done on your knees or against a wall if you prefer, work your core.
One set of 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise, on 2 or more days a week, is effective, according to HHS. Beginners can start with 1 day a week at a light effort and no weights.
Go slowly and stop if you feel sharp pain. Breathe out during the effort, and don’t hold your breath.
Add slopes and rough ground one step at a time
Your ankles and knees take a lot of load on rocky trails. Add lateral step-ups and short walks on gentle slopes and rough paths.
Hiking uphill or with a heavy backpack counts as vigorous activity. Add hills or pack weight one at a time, and give your lower body 2 to 4 weeks at each new level.
Break in your shoes and pack before the hike
Once your lower body is stronger, make sure your feet stay comfortable. Before a bigger hike:
- Wear new shoes on short walks first
- Test them on uneven ground to check grip and stability
- Pack your backpack fully to check weight and comfort
You’ll learn what works while you’re still close to home. Details on choosing shoes are in the footwear guide, and beginner hiking tips cover trails, hydration and phone power.
Build your weekly plan: walk, strengthen, balance, rest
A simple week has walks on most days, muscle strengthening on 2 or more days and some balance activities. The CDC’s sample week for older adults follows this shape.
If you already walk every day, the pieces still to add are strength work and balance work.
Finish the week with a longer, easy walk. The park’s website or a ranger can tell you each trail’s difficulty, and understanding trail difficulty ratings explains the labels.
Rest days are part of the plan. Add one thing at a time: distance, hills or pack weight.