As much as I love the gym, I am also the first to admit that gym workouts can get boring.  Workouts can get repetitive and bodies can plateau. Additionally, when it is sunny and beautiful outside the last thing I want to do is go lock myself up indoors to complete my workout.

Because of these reasons, and many more, one of my favorite activities is hiking.  I am not talking about intense hiking with ropes and gear; simply an aerobic hike that allows your body to experience different terrain, altitudes, and elevations. Although all hiking and moving around can burn calories, there is a difference between leisure hiking and ‘exercise’ hiking.  When you hike at a quicker speed and add elements such as sprints and lunges, you can all of a sudden get an amazing workout while enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

Here are some tips on how to kick your calorie burn up on a hike:

1. Choose a hiking location where there are hills and various terrains.  (I.e. don’t stick to a ‘hike’ that is on a paved road).  These changes in your hike will keep your body guessing at what is coming next thus amping up calorie burn when your body works harder to adjust to the differences.
2. On straight and flat areas, try some walking lunges.  Do forward lunges on each leg then turn around and lunge backwards on each leg.
3. When you hit little hills or stairs, sprint to the top.  If you can’t sprint all the way, sprint for a few seconds then walk a few.  Continue the intervals all the way up.
4. When you get to the halfway point on your hike, stop and do some squats, pushups or jumping jacks.
5. Aim to be on the trails about an hour to get a full cardio workout.

Here are some photos of my on my recent hike to Black’s Beach in La Jolla, CA.:

Happy hiking and calorie burning!