It’s easy to wrap up hiking season feeling fit, but as the off season sets in, it can be harder and harder to motivate off of the couch. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to keep you fit throughout the off-season which makes transitioning back to the trail that much easier. While you won’t likely be in the same condition you were at the end of the previous season, doing what you can to maintain a base level of fitness will help you regain your trail legs more quickly with less propensity for injury.
- Beat the heat. Not everyone’s off season is cold and dark. For those in hot climates, summer is often the time when getting out is difficult. Plan your workouts for early or late when the temperatures are cooler. Or, get a membership to an air-conditioned gym.
- See the light. If your off season comes along with the Big Dark, try to plan workouts for your lunch break. Getting outside during daylight hours will not only be warmer, but it will also be safer and better for your circadian rhythm.
- Touch your toes. Incorporate flexibility work into your routine. Whether it’s yoga, Pilates, ballet or just stretching moving your body through the range of motion will help keep you supple.
- Make Gains. Lifting weights, whether with free weights of machines, is an ideal way to strengthen your muscles, joints, connective tissue and more. This makes you more resilient to the stressors of the trail.
- Add weight. Using a loaded backpack on your hikes, walks or runs during the off season can help you maintain that pack wearing fitness that is easy to lose.
- Get your hour in. Whether it’s cardio, flexibility, weights or a combo, aim for an hour of daily exercise. Moving your body in any way helps you maintain fitness.
- Eyes on the prize. Set a big goal hike for the next season. Having something to work toward can give you that extra boost you need to get up and at it.
- Make tracks. Similarly, using a tracking device to keep tabs on your daily movement can help you motivate yourself. Choose daily step or calorie burn goals to keep you focused.
- Plan ahead. Off season can include a lot of holidays and social obligations that can disrupt your routine. Schedule blocks of time for working out that realistically mesh with your plans so that you can keep your momentum going.
- Build up. As shoulder season approaches, gradually increase weight, duration, OR intensity of your workouts. This helps you adapt over time.
By making a commitment to move year-round, you will find your adaptation phase is shorter and your off-season fitness losses diminish. Maintaining a base level of fitness year-round often leads to overall increased athletic capacity that compounds when you stick with it year after year. Just keep your goals attainable until your habit is set!
