Run for the Hills!

In a tight economy, many people are reluctant to spend money on a gym membership, but are open to the prospect of a fun and free outdoor workout. With a little creativity, you can get an intense, calorie-burning cardio workout without burning a hole in your pocket.

Hill walking is one of my favorite exercises because you can usually find hills anywhere. It is a natural, low-impact exercise that is gentle on the knees, ankles, hips and back. It is also an effective method of exercising for those who may be injured, overweight, or just beginning an exercise program. Hill walking is much easier on your joints than running, and it does not sacrifice exercise intensity. 

Hill walking strengthens the glutes, hip flexors, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves enabling you to sculpt and lean out the lower part of your body without hitting the gym. Continuous uphill walking can burn up to 500 calories per hour, but remember, most local hills are not long enough to allow you to walk uphill for one continuous hour. In this case, assume you will burn 100-plus calories for each mile walked.

The heavier you are, the more calories you will burn. Walking faster, covering more distance and carrying a load will also increase the amount of calories burned, so if you are feeling particularly ambitious, try carrying a set of two- to five-pound weights with you. I prefer hand-held weights over ankle weights which can cause stress on the ligaments and tendons of your legs.

Find a hill that is at least a half-mile long with a 10-15 percent grade. Start off with a five-minute warm-up at an easy pace. This will give your muscles a chance to warm up while reducing your chance of injury. After five minutes, go ahead and power up the rest of the hill. You may find yourself out of breath midway through the hill, so if you are new to exercise, I’d recommend only climbing the hill twice.  Follow with a five-minute cool down and some light stretching. This will complete a two-mile walk.

Regular exercisers should follow the same warm-up and cool-down, but hike the hill a total of two to three times up and down. This will roughly complete a four- to six-mile walk.

Beginners can walk slowly up the hills, and experienced walkers can power walk up. As you become stronger, increase your speed to burn more calories. Always take it easy on the way down. In addition, it’s important to remember to pull your navel towards your spine while you walk and keep your shoulders back while also relaxed. And remember—for an optimal workout, always select a hill that is at least a half-mile long to get maximum cardiovascular benefit.

After the walking portion of the workout, both beginners and experienced walkers can complete their workout with some push-ups, tricep dips, planks, crunches and leg-lifts for total body conditioning.

Do this workout three to five times a week and within six weeks, you will start to notice a positive difference in your endurance, strength and flexibility.

Sure, walking up hills will be hard, but if you want to reap the rewards, you have to put in the work.

To make your new exercise endeavor more enjoyable (which in turn means you are more likely to stick with it), recruit a friend to join you. There’s nothing like good company and stimulating conversation to make time go by quickly.