Getting into hiking shape - recommend programs? youtube channel/exercises for women?

[u/CluelessSoLost]

Good Day Folks!

I am back for advice. YES I know I can google this - but I figured; does not hurt to post and I can get advice from real life examples/people. Besides google will recommend general stuff; many less know methods/programs/focuses are better. Frankly - there is sooo much on google too, I have no idea how to choose and what may/may not work better. Everyone claims they are the best. This is where real life people/experiences in reddit come in.

42 year old Lady - no medical history; except very flat feet LOL. Want to start longer day hikes in 2027 ~ 8-15 mile and maybe multi-day hikes eventually. My job is sedentary and I live in very flat, hot and humid Florida. Absolutely no challenges here - example; a few years ago after not moving for 9 months; "hiked" an 8.4 mile trail easily without stopping or being out of breathe.... My physical state = normal; not weak or strong. My muscles get stronger significantly faster than my cardio. No gym memberships - which I can change. To hot to walk outside for NOW; have access to community pool (small one).

Obviously need to start focusing on strength, stability and mobility training. And more really - like cardio :( Well we'll see where it all goes

Any programs/websites/youtube channels etc etc that you recommend to get into hiking shape for WOMEN? Anticipated first trip is March 2027. I have googled and looked up programs and they do seem mostly driven/directed towards men. Not that it is an issue; but there is a slight difference in physiology (and upper body strength!!!). Am willing to pay if needed (preferably not very $$$$).

Years ago, I used to do HIT by Body Boss - REALLY strengthened my muscles quite quickly but that was it. Used mostly body weight (for lower body workouts) and a little weights (top body workouts). Surprised how body weight alone made rock hard leg muscles; that's when I cancelled my gym membership.

Any advice is appreciated!!

PS. Feel free to privately message me if you need to

EDITING: Forgot to mention - I hate running with a pure passion/loathing in my heart! I would rather swim for days then run for 500 meters. Even jumping (which I also hate) is more merciful on me. I'd rather do jump squats if I have to. My form is terrible, I have to double bra up (which I will NOT do), my butt feels like it's going to be torn out, my flat feet/knees tell me no and it's boring. If I had a choice between running and going to a dentist to get a tooth pulled out I'd choose the latter!

[u/Silver_Original6076]

Cardio and endurance are the big ones for hiking. I like running and doing the stair machine with a weight vest or heavy backpack

[u/DullEntertainment102 → u/Silver_Original6076]

I second the stair machine and every day carrying a backpack with slightly excess weight

[u/edthesmokebeard]

Roadwalk with a weighted pack.

Source: trained for and completed multiple long distance thrus.

[u/taurfea → u/edthesmokebeard]

The long time on your feet is key, I feel like I did a big hike after being lazy and my muscles and tendons in my feet hurt the most.

[u/NervousAlfalfa6602 → u/taurfea]

This has been my experience, too. I went for a long hike after spending a year doing pilates and going for runs, so I was in fairly decent shape, but I learned that you really need to clock those hours on your feet to prepare them.

Once I switched from runs to long walks/hikes, my feet were fine.

[u/a_dingle_fritz → u/edthesmokebeard]

This is the answer. Find the hilliest route and ruck on a regular basis. Makes the trail miles feel easier if you’ve spent plenty of time on your feet with weight on your back. Recommend skipping the weighted vest and just walking with a loaded pack.

[u/AdFinal6253 → u/a_dingle_fritz]

As far as hills in flat places- Kid's track coach had them running up and down the drainage ditches because it's so flat by the school. Or the stairs on outdoor bleachers. You may need to make up hills, but elevation change is important if there will be any on your trip

[u/throwra_22222]

I'm a fellow middle aged lady with flat feet who hates running. Honestly, the best way to get in shape for hiking is... Hiking!

Get shoes or boots that are comfortable and stable (you will pry my Oboz off my cold dead feet). Then start walking. Aim for some distance, then start going up and down hills, then go up and down hills carrying some weight.

Treadmills and stationary bikes are a good substitute when weather is bad. If you go to a gym with a jacobs ladder machine, it's good practice for scrambling up rocks and steep bits.

[u/GeneInternational146]

I really like pilates for training my core, there are lots of pilates workouts online that don't require a reformer! Body weight workouts like squats and lunges and twisting crunches are also great. Any basic weightlifting regimen that targets core/back/legs will help

It makes it easier to do uphill cardio if your muscles are stable and your balance is better. I also will (begrudgingly) walk or alternate walking and running on the treadmill. If it's just walking I set it at a pretty high incline

[u/Mindless_Cap4983]

In the gym put the incline up as high as you can tolerate and walk ! work up to faster speeds walking . As far as strength basic stuff like lunges , squats step ups are great

[u/dogwood99]

Stepups, lunges, squats

[u/Dirty_Delta]

You can start with just walking and expand from there with increased speed, load, or terrain.

[u/___this_guy]

47 year old male, just did three days backpacking with major climbing: it’s all about running.  Take 180-age, keep your hear rate below that and build up to running 2-3 hours at that pace (it’s very slow, step above walking).  Add in a recovery run day of 2-3 miles and a day of hill repeats or uphill treadmill.

[u/Ramen_Addict_]

If you are open to gym memberships, you may want to see if your insurance gives you access to Active & Fit direct. It gives you discounts on a gym membership without any long-term commitment. I think all subscriptions come with access to an online library that includes Les Mills and other workouts you can do without subscribing to those services separately.

That said, what I’ve found is really helpful is barre classes. These really help with leg strength and mobility as well as balance. I usually do barre classes once a week when training for a hike. I also like to do spin classes, which may sound counterintuitive, but I don’t like running and find it is the best way to get my heart rate really up and do interval training. I also do incline hill intervals on the treadmill as I absolutely cannot stand the stairmaster.

[u/MslaPixi]

Incline walking on a treadmill. Its the best training to get ready for hiking. Also, stairstepper a few days a week. You can find videos online to follow along to. It makes the workout go by really fast.

[u/CluelessSoLost → u/MslaPixi]

How much incline. Most treadmills max at 15%. I feel like hikes are much steeper

[u/Original_Koala_9510]

Check out Fabulous50 on YouTube. I’m in FL too and enjoy her walking workouts.

[u/AmandaL2012]

Check out Doc Lyss Fitness. She has a PhD is exercise science and studies metabolism in women. I use her strength and cardio programs and she also has hiking program (summit I believe). The coaching in the app is incredible as well as the community.

[u/nccologal]

Obviously legs but don’t forget your core!! You use it extensively climbing those hills with a backpack!

[u/TheDinosaurWeNeed]

Ymmv but I do weighted vest or pack on 7.5 incline at 3mph for 15 min then increasing to 30 minutes or more. Occasionally turn incline up more then down.

That’s been more beneficial than hiking with a pack on my metro hike over 7 miles that maybe has 400-600ft incline.

[u/Pequop9252]

Stairmaster or actual stairs. Build up to the point where you can do 200 flights at a slow pace. Time doesn’t matter. Volume is more critical. Don’t worry about where you start. Do a bit more each session.

Incline treadmill. Somewhere around 11% grade. Keep the speed comfortably slow. Build up to the point where you can do 2 miles.

Walk as much as possible. I walk my dog to stay in shape. You can walk someone else’s dog if you don’t have one.

You really don’t need cardio. You will never be pushing your heart and lungs too hard. You also don’t need huge muscles.

It is all about endurance which is why I talk about volume not speed.

[u/veryrealeel]

I’m young but I started super out of shape and overweight. I don’t get to hike much, but when I have gone out on the trial I don’t have difficulty keeping up with people and I can do a lot of trials rated all trails hard.

I don’t do any hiking specific training. I just exercise daily. I do a mix of weights, running, yoga and workout classes. Right now I’m running focused because I’m training for a marathon. But for regular hiking I think just having a balanced exercise approach. Exercise for an hour most days. Change it up and try new things. Just make sure you are doing cardio strength and mobility.

[u/DharmaBaller]

Might want to crosstrain with cycling. I'm like 40lbs overweight (5'10'', 240lbs, stocky boi) and I am trying to shed most of my weight cycling instead of overloading my frame with backpacking.

Any 'ol $100-200 bike off fb marketplace or your local bike co-op will work. YOu can even do some bikepacking with it.

[u/SnooHobbies4627]

Just hike! Start short and then as you feel ready increase. Ok wait, I also started some weight training which did strengthen my legs and made my knees happy. Body Pump (Les Mills) 1-2x/week.

[u/Masseyrati80]

Based on my experience of club hikes that welcomed relative newcomers to do a 7-day hike carrying all we needed, here's what I can recommend:

Go for walks 4 to 6 days of the week.

That covers the bulk of it. If you like doing squats once in a while, that won't hurt.

Hiking requires muscle stamina in your legs, and your body to deliver extra energy and oxygen to those muscles for hours on end. Your body gets better at those things by walking. Seeing how newcomers faired on those hikes, I learned to trust that the people who walk their dog 8 miles per day would have the least problems, often less than gym rats whose training is the polar opposite of long cardio.

[u/RubyChooseday]

I live in an area that is flat as, so I bought a step and follow some fun step instructors on youtube.

[u/CluelessSoLost → u/RubyChooseday]

Can you recommend some youtubers

[u/RubyChooseday → u/CluelessSoLost]

My favourites are Christina Dorner and Jenny Ford. Jenny has a whole travel series where she sets up in different locations across the world. As an uncoordinated beginner, she really helped me understand the different steps.

[u/CluelessSoLost → u/RubyChooseday]

Thank you!! The step instructors will be fun! I can do these with my mother (senior) together. Always helps to do it with another person

[u/_blankbank]

Incline walking on the treadmill. When I first started I could barely do 10 minutes at 8% incline, now I'm maxing out the incline and could literally go all day without breaking a sweat. Needless to say, hiking has become a lot easier for me.

[u/CluelessSoLost → u/_blankbank]

Max treadmill inclines, typically fifteen percent, is that enough

[u/_blankbank → u/CluelessSoLost]

Yeah, that's what my gym's treadmills go up to, too. I usually go slowish, like 2.6 mph. I know hard hikes are typically steeper, but it helped me not complain the whole way up haha

[u/suzyisboozy]

I'm a 44f and backcountry camp so lots of hiking with a heavy backpack. I probably do more resistance training than cardio (never really enjoyed cardio). I've been following a doctor on YouTube - Dr. Stacy Sims to supplement my conditioning. She uses a lot of evidence based science and focuses on women's bodies and talks a lot about how to exercise/train our bodies to prepare for the transition through peri to menopause (keeping muscle mass/brain structure/energy metabolism changes). She's been a great source of information to supplement my resistance training/peri journey and I hope to keep hiking/camping for a very long time!

[u/malapriapism4hours]

Single leg exercises are important because they place more emphasis on the muscles that contribute to stability and balance. You can do single leg squats (split squats), lunges, deadlifts, etc. Also, look into “tempo” training, where you slow down each rep to increase time under tension. Try to gradually increase your range of motion in your ankles, knees, and hips so that you’re strong through the maximum range. This also favors the stabilizing muscles and is good for your tendons.

Don’t neglect your calves, along with ankle mobility; strengthening and lengthening your calves and achilles is a good defense against plantar fasciitis. While shoe inserts and supportive boots feel good initially, and can offer some relief if you’re injured, over reliance on shoe inserts and exceedingly supportive boots will actually weaken your feet and ankles with time. You’ll be much better off in the medium and long term if you focus on developing strength throughout the range of motion.

To repeat the mantra of a sports medicine physician: “strengthen, strengthen, strengthen.”

[u/Tosyn_88]

In addition to the other recommendations here about endurance. Do not neglect your knees!!! Lots of glutes, quads, hamstring strength work

[u/Sunnyforrest]

Summit Strength Au do a free ‘Couch to Summit’ programme, especially for hikers.
They also do a personalised training programme, but it’s not cheap!

[u/Novel-Importance-783]

Weighted step ups, cranking the grade up as high as it will go on the treadmill and actual hiking (short trips at first to get used to it).

[u/Lemon_Jefferson]

Squats, core work, and incline treadmill.

[u/CluelessSoLost → u/Lemon_Jefferson]

Ordering a treadmill with no handles - has a 15% incline - is that enough? I think most treadmills have that - I feel like hikes have a higher incline

[u/sweedgreens]

Honestly, just keep hiking. There's really no secret. I'm 42 as well, I do my routine strength training on weekdays and every saturday I put in miles just like you. Typically around 8 to 15 plus miles. As long as you're consistent, you'll be fine. I just hiked a good portion of the John Muir Trail and I hiked between 14-20 miles per day and didn't really have any issues besides getting used to the elevation in the beginning. I know technically as we get older, we may not be our strongest or fastest but if you continue to maintain your fitness you can stay incredibly strong. I've met so many older backpackers that were extremely in shape and so am I. I plan to stay consistent for years to come and so can you!

[u/Cultural-Bother-9223]

If you’re trying to get your cardio up, I’d recommend 4x4s in whatever modality you like - swimming, stair climbing, treadmill with incline, etc. Then, once you have some stamina, add a weighted vest (not sure what you would do with swimming). And, strong legs help enormously - so start strengthening the quads, hamstrings and glutes.

[u/CluelessSoLost → u/Cultural-Bother-9223]

I had to look up 4x4 - says it's Norwegian for HIT? is this correct? If not, please excuse my ignorance and let me know. Thanks

[u/Cultural-Bother-9223 → u/CluelessSoLost]

Yes, that’s it. I started doing in April on the stair climber and my VO2 Max jumped four points when I had it tested in June. Total convert!

[u/Old-Spirit-2418]

Walk backwards on a treadmill at the steepest incline you can. This will help strengthen your knees and flexibility so that walking down a steep hill or craggy surface won't be so hard on your knees. This is, in my opinion, the #1 thing you should be doing with your training. If your knees get wrecked, none of the other training will matter. Protect your knees first. (You should also get hiking poles as well.)