Category
Fitness
25 articles
Backcountry Destinations
Minnesota Now Does Guided Fitness Hikes
Washington County in Minnesota will soon be starting guided fitness hikes, and they’re perfect for those who love the outdoors as much as they love staying in shape. Though it might seem easier to organize your exercises in a place like a gym, there’s so many benefits to using the outdoors as your fitness center, instead. […]
1 min read · Feb 8, 2016 · hanalarock
Backcountry Skills
Common Hiking Injuries and How to Prevent Them
While hiking is definitely good for you, both experienced and beginner hikers alike could find themselves with an injury from time to time. For every hiker, there’s a couple of injuries that are very common to get during a hike. Though these types of injuries aren’t life-threatening, they can make the rest of your journey […]
1 min read · Feb 4, 2016 · hanalarock
Backcountry Skills
Hate the Gym? Go Hiking!
While you should always get yourself into shape before hitting the trails, hiking is no doubt one of the best forms of exercise you can do. Especially if you’d rather get outside than have a gym membership, spring is right around the corner and it’s the ideal time for getting fit. Though there’s plenty of […]
1 min read · Feb 3, 2016 · hanalarock
Backcountry Skills
Healthy Food Choices On and Off the Trail
A big part of getting in shape for hiking is the food choices you make. It’s not enough to just exercise everyday, without paying attention to the food you’re eating. Training your body by eating healthy, whole foods on and off the trail, will leave you feeling energized, awake, and ready to conquer anything. Imagine […]
1 min read · Feb 2, 2016 · hanalarock
Backcountry Skills
Getting in Shape for Hiking Season: The Basics
It’s now February, and the warmer months are right around the corner. No matter how eager you are, it’s never a good idea to jump right into hiking again until your body has been revitalized. Unless you were really into winter hiking this year, it’s likely that you need to train your body to get back into […]
1 min read · Feb 1, 2016 · hanalarock
Backcountry Destinations
10 Extreme Backcountry Experiences
Have you ever thought of doing something a little more extreme while outdoors? Hiking and mountaineering can be a thrill in itself, but sometimes there’s excitement in getting a bit more of an adrenaline-rush on your backpacking trip. Next time you plan a backcountry trek, consider trying one of these extreme activities to take it […]
1 min read · Jan 6, 2016 · hanalarock
Backcountry Skills
Staying in Shape After Your Hike
Hiking is fantastic exercise. While you’re out on the trail, the strenuous nature of hiking up and down hills with a backpack on definitely helps you burn the fat and sometimes shed unwanted pounds. While it’s great to lose weight on the trail, often times hikers tend to gain back the weight that they lose […]
1 min read · Sep 19, 2015 · Ian Campbell
Backcountry Skills
8 Lesser Known Health Benefits of the Backcountry
Besides being totally awesome, adventurous, and down-right fun, hiking in the backcountry is actually very healthy and has actually been proven to make you live longer. Hiking will not only make you into a more active person, but will actually contribute to positive changes in your health long-term. We all know that backpacking is good […]
1 min read · Sep 8, 2015 · hanalarock
Backcountry Skills
How to Backpack Pain Free with Back Problems
Even if you might be in fairly good physical condition, some of us have one problem we can’t avoid, which can cause serious limitations at the most inconvenient times; back problems. Whether the problem is a life-long medical condition or only something you get once in a while, it can seriously be damper when traveling […]
1 min read · Sep 2, 2015 · hanalarock
Backcountry Skills
How to Prepare for a Thru-Hike
Thru-hikes aren’t for beginners. These typically longer hikes need preparation both physically and mentally. Before jumping on the trail head, it’s important to start training yourself. Here’s how to start. Get in Shape Physical training is essential in order to get yourself fit. Develop a program with a good mix of cardio and weight lifting. […]
1 min read · Aug 29, 2015 · Ian Campbell
Fitness
How to Prevent Ankle Injury While Hiking
A long hike can put a lot of stress on your ankles. Simply walking for a long period of time puts a lot of pressure on your ankles and feet; add to that the uneven terrain, keeping your ankles strong becomes incredibly important to prevent ankle injury while hiking for any period of time. The […]
1 min read · Jul 29, 2015 · Ian Campbell
Backcountry Skills
Training For Backpacking
As I’ve mentioned in past blog posts I’ve recently decided to train for backpacking into the Grand Canyon. In learning how aggressive of a hike that actually is, I knew that training was going to be incredibly important so I started to craft my training plan. After starting with my attempt at hiking Mount Woodson […]
1 min read · Jun 10, 2015 · Ian Campbell