Build Your Cardiovascular Endurance

A thru-hike demands cardiovascular stamina, as you’ll often be hiking 10-20 miles or more daily over varied terrain and elevation. Cardio training is essential to help your body adapt to sustained physical exertion. Here are some tips to build up your endurance:

• Go Hiking: It seems pretty obvious right? If you plan on going backpacking for a long time you should probably backpack to train? But you’d be surprised how many people attempt a thru-hike using the couch to trial method. While some have the mental fortitude on trail to adjust to demands and push through, a vast majority of unprepared hikers find themselves with a plane ticket home instead of a Terminus finishing photo. Don’t be these hikers. Gradually increase your hiking distances and elevations before you start your thru-hike. Start with shorter hikes and lower elevations, and work up to longer, steeper terrain over a few months. Truly the best way to get into shape for backpacking is by going backpacking.
• How much hiking? Aiming for at least 3 hours with a loaded pack on(about 6 miles) will give you an understanding of how your gear feels and any fit adjustments you might need. From there working your way up to 10-12 mile training hikes with a loaded pack is ideal, as that’s the mileage most people are likely to start their thru-hikes at. The more elevation you can get into your hike the better to help workout your ankle and knee tendons and ligaments to condition them for the upcoming demand. If you live in a low elevation area, doing stairs with a loaded pack is the best way to go. Finding a stadium or multi-floor stairwell works wonders.

• Cross-Training: Activities like running, cycling, and swimming are excellent for boosting cardiovascular health. Aim for at least 3 cardio sessions per week. If you’re already backpacking as mentioned above, prioritize cycling or swimming as supplemental cardio since these activities will have the lowest impact on your knees. While you partake in your cardio and cross training sessions, try to keep a pace where you can comfortably breath through your nose, and if you’re having a hard time, slow your pace down a little bit.  Maintaining a comfortable pace that allows you to breathe through your nose will prevent you from burning out or taking too many breaks.

Strengthen Key Muscle Groups

Carrying a heavy pack day after day requires strong muscles, especially in your legs, core, and upper body. Include these exercises in your training routine:

• Leg Workouts: Squats, lunges, step-ups, and calf raises strengthen the quads, hamstrings, and calves, which are critical for hiking uphill and downhill. If you’re new to working out we recommend working with body weight exercises first, and then working your way up to free weights. These supplemental routines will help you develop a wider variety of muscles, ligaments, and tendons that normal backpacking might not address.
• Core Exercises: A strong core stabilizes your body and improves your balance. Include exercises like planks, Russian twists, and mountain climbers. Try to incorporate core exercises at least 2-3 times per week in addition to training hikes and cross training. While loaded up with a heavy pack the natural result is tipping forward, ensuring you have a dedicated core routine will help to keep your posture upright and navigate uneasy footing if you find yourself having to squeeze through areas or twist and turn during a rocky descent. 
• Upper Body: Your shoulders, back, and arms play a role in carrying your backpack. Rows, shoulder presses, and push-ups help build the endurance needed to carry weight over long distances. You engage your arms more than you might realize while using trekking poles, picking your pack up, and carrying water from a far away source. Although not as important as your legs, your upper body still deserves fitness attention to ensure your endurance and conditioning are ready for the challenge of walking really really far. 

Here’s a beginner full bodyweight exercise to target your lower body, upper body, and core.

Warm-Up (5-10 min)

• Arm Circles – 30 sec each direction
• Leg Swings – 10 reps per leg (front-to-back, side-to-side)
• Bodyweight Good Mornings – 10 reps
• High Knees – 30 seconds
• Squat to Stand Stretch – 10 reps

Workout (3 Rounds)

Lower Body

1. Bodyweight Squats – 15 reps
2. Reverse Lunges – 10 reps per leg
3. Glute Bridges – 15 reps
4. Wall Sit – 30 seconds
5. Calf Raises – 15 reps

Upper Body (Minimal but Effective)

1. Incline Push-Ups – 12 reps (use a table, countertop, or knees for easier modification)
2. Superman Raises – 12 reps (lay on stomach, lift arms & legs up, hold for a sec)

Core Work (After each round)

1. Plank – 30-45 seconds
2. Bicycle Crunches – 20 reps (10 per side)
3. Leg Raises – 12 reps
4. Russian Twists – 20 reps (10 per side)
5. Superman Hold – 30 seconds

Cool-Down (5 min)

• Standing Quad Stretch – 30 sec per leg
• Seated Forward Fold – 30 sec
• Butterfly Stretch – 30 sec
• Hip Flexor Stretch – 30 sec per leg
• Child’s Pose – 30 sec

Train with Your Pack

Simulate your hike by practicing with a fully loaded pack. This not only helps your muscles adjust but also toughens your shoulders and back, so you’re less likely to experience discomfort on the trail. Morning shoulder soreness and fatigue is very real in the first week or two of a thru-hike as your body adjusts.

• Weight Progression: Start with a lighter load and add weight as your strength increases. Aim to work up to carrying about 25-30 pounds. Generally, thru-hikers will find themselves carrying up to 30 pounds during their thru-hike due to weather which requires bulkier gear as well as longer water and food carries. Knowing what this weight actually feels like so you feel more confident and prepared when starting your hike. If you’ve never hiked Amicalola Falls with a 35 pound pack, the 600 steps to the top can be a bit daunting.
• Realistic Terrain: Whenever possible, practice on trails that resemble the terrain of your thru-hike. This helps your body adjust to uneven surfaces, steep climbs, and tricky descents. If this isn’t possible it’s still a great idea to hike as much and often as possible and as mentioned in the beginning of the article, finding multi-floor stair sets comes in handy.

Even if you live in Texas and plan on hiking something like the Appalachian Trail, hiking as much and as often as you can will greatly improve your success. 

Increase Flexibility and Mobility

Maintaining flexibility is essential to avoid injuries, especially in tight areas like the hips, hamstrings, and calves. Incorporate a mix of dynamic stretching (before workouts) and static stretching (post-workout).

• Dynamic Stretches: Leg swings, walking lunges, and high knees before hikes prepare your muscles for movement. Even the simple warm-up routine you likely learned in gym class is more helpful than hiking with a cold body.
• Yoga and Mobility Work: Yoga helps improve flexibility, body awareness, and breathing techniques, all of which are beneficial for long hikes. Although not everyone has time to set up their CCF pad and namaste at a mountain pass, incorporating the yoga basics will help immensely. Try to incorporate just two or three of these movements in your stretch routine: Mountain Pose (Tadasana): Standing tall with aligned posture. Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): An inverted V-shape stretch. Child’s Pose (Balasana): A resting pose to relax the body. Warrior Poses (Virabhadrasana I & II): Strength-building stances. Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana): A stretch for the back and hamstrings. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana): A gentle backbend. Corpse Pose (Savasana): Relaxation at the end of a session.

While on trail, it’s your duty to keep your body happy by doing some warm ups and stretches in the morning before hitting the trail. Double points if you keep this routine up before going to bed as well. One of the most common injuries on trail is IT band syndrome. This feels like a major discomfort on the outside of your knee and can even take you off trail. Having strong glutes and a good stretching routine will help mitigate this pain and keep you on trail. You can use your trekking pole as a massage arm and run it down the length of your IT band starting at the hips and working your way down to the knee. Start on the outside of your leg, then front of your leg, inside of your leg and finally the back of the leg. Do the same on the back of your calves. Give yourself a good 5-10 minutes of this in camp before setting off for the day

Prioritize Recovery and Nutrition

Recovery is as essential as the physical training itself. Your body needs time to rebuild and adapt to the stress of training.

• Rest Days: Give your muscles time to recover with at least one or two rest days per week. Overtraining can lead to injuries and burnout.
• Fueling Your Body: Focus on a balanced diet with plenty of lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats. Protein aids muscle recovery, while carbs fuel your long hikes.Try to focus on whole foods like veggies,legumes, and animal protein sources if it aligns with your diet.
• Hydration: Train your body to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water during your workouts. Consider electrolyte supplements to replace salts lost through sweat.

Another benefit of starting to train before your hike is not only are your muscles being prepared, but you might find that being more conscious about your training and diet causes you to lose weight, and the quickest way to reduce your base weight is to reduce your belly weight. Would you rather spend an hour a day on exercise to lose 5 pounds, or would you rather pay hundreds or thousands of dollars on gear to save 1 pound?

Test Gear on Training Hikes

Physical training is also a chance to test your gear and troubleshoot any issues before your thru-hike begins. Hike with your boots, socks, trekking poles, and any other equipment you plan to take.

• Break in Your Shoes: Make sure you have the proper footwear to prevent blisters. Not every zero drop shoe is meant for every person, and it’s important for you to find footwear that works best for your foot shape and walking gait. A knowledgeable footwear store will be able to tell you if you pronate(foot rolls inward) or supinate(foot rolls outwards) and what shoe lends itself to correcting that.
• Adjust Your Gear: Test the fit and placement of your pack, trekking poles, and hydration system to avoid discomfort. You can find a guide on how to fit your pack properly here. Making sure your pack is the right size and all straps are appropriately adjusted is the easiest way to guarantee your comfort!

For more on how to dial in your gear before heading out check out our Shakedown Hike article.

Conclusion

Preparing physically for a thru-hike takes commitment, consistency, and a well-rounded approach that combines endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. As you develop physically, remember that thru-hiking is as much a mental challenge as it is physical.

To avoid burnout if you’re just starting out, focus on 3 days per week hiking or cross training with our body weight routine, and Saturday or Sunday for a longer hike.

So your week would look like this:

Monday: Body weight routine in the morning with an hour walk or bike ride in the evening

Tuesday: 1 hour non-loaded walk or hike. – Walking is a neighborhood, hiking is a trail.

Wednesday: 2 hour loaded pack walk or hike in the evening(20lbs to start)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Bodyweight routine in the morning 

Saturday: 3+ hour loaded pack walk or hike(Total pack weight. Whatever you’re taking on trail including food and water)

Sunday: Rest/yoga/30 minute stretch session

If you start a couple of months before your hike you’ll be surprised how well prepared you are when you start. As those around you that didn’t prepare effectively slowly drop out of trail, you might find yourself standing alone at the finish line.

For more info, training plans, and stretching beyond this article a great resource that is thru-hiker owned is Blaze Physio, they even do on trail assistance!