Take A Hike
Build Muscle, Lose Fat
An unexpected benefit of hiking is that it is very good exercise to build muscle to replace the fat that we accumulate as we get older. Strong muscles burn more calories than fat, firming and trimming us up while having fun!
As we get older we lose muscle, our metabolism slows down, and we become very efficient at storing fat. The only real help for that is a low fat balanced diet and muscle building exercise.
We could go to the gym and workout everyday if we were willing to stay in one place and if the place we were staying was populated enough to have a gym. Or we could exercise on our own by walking and working out with weights for a hour a day. But being full time rvers, we are not going to do that.
And we don’t need to. Instead of walking around the block or around the campground, we find an interesting destination, put on our walking shoes, and head out.
Hiking is better for building muscle and burning fat than mall walking. On hiking trails we are:
- going uphill
- walking through sand
- climbing over boulders
- navigating obstacles
--burning more calories than with an ordinary walk.
Generally men have more muscles than women, and muscles are energy hogs. So the goal for all of us is to replace the fat we carry around with muscle. Mostly the hiking muscles will be in the legs and buttocks, so it wouldn’t hurt to do some sit-ups and push-ups for the arms and abdomen. Women can do wall push-outs instead of push-ups for an easier arm and chest exercise.
A rough estimate of weight loss while hiking is 100 calories per mile for a 180 pound man, more if the going is tough.
How many calories can you burn hiking? Calculate your
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
and plan enough hikes to burn more calories. You will build muscle and lose fat in the process.
Return from Build Muscle to Hiking Safety
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