Hiking Tips for Beginners

Hiking is a good activity that can provide health benefits to last a lifetime. Regardless of the talk, hiking doesn’t always have to be strenuous and leave your body aching. Hiking for you can mean a few hours around the neighborhood on a Saturday morning. It’s especially good if you are not ready to get into more intense exercises as a way of keeping fit.

Since you may just be starting out, you are not expected to hit the Appalachian Trail and come back strong. Rather, you can start with small courses around your town that won’t require you to carry overnight supplies in heavy backpacks. The length of your hike will depend on the amount of time you can find during the week.

Before heading out, decide if you want a friend to tag along. You might want to go solo, but if anything dangerous were to happen, it helps to have someone with you. Most probably, your friend will be interested in being your hiking buddy, and from the experience you can help each other adapt to the activity.

Determine how much of a challenge you want to tackle on your first few hikes. Heading out for an all-day hike with minimal fitness levels is not advised. Rather, pick trails that allow you to enjoy the scenery and take a breather on occasion. There’s no reason to tire yourself out and realize it will take three hours to get back to the car.

Sarah Eller Wake County of Wake County loves to hike and makes sure to hit the trails in her area, including the challenging Crowders Mountain. She occasionally brings friends and a camera along. The friends make the hike fun, and the camera captures those moments.