Little ways to get into hiking this summer

Whether or not you consider yourself outdoorsy

I’m the person who spent much of early adulthood being a self-proclaimed “indoors girl.” In my free time, you could count on finding me at a coffee shop or a restaurant, keeping the company of pretty buildings and manicured streets.

Hiking was quite possibly one of the last things I was interested in doing, until I begrudgingly gave it a try to appease my then-boyfriend, now-husband.

Jokes on me, because I quickly fell head-over-heels.

Make no mistake, though, I was a pretty bad hiker at the start. One of my first mountain hikes had me crawling on the trail because I was terrified of the sharp cliff-sides.

Fast forward to today, and I hike more than my husband does. My point? I’ve been the person who had absolutely no experience as a hiker, and if there’s one thing I know it’s that people can totally change and adapt.

So if you’ve been thinking about getting into hiking but you’re low key a little terrified of the idea, this is what I’d do. It’s the advice I’d give to myself if I could turn back the clock.

Make a hiking bucket list. Whether it’s a mood board or a spreadsheet or your favorite hikes saved in your AllTrails account, list them out. Having it written down holds you accountable. And when there are images tied to the list, it’s added inspo.

Don’t let your gear stop you from getting outside. Do you have shoes that cover your toes and give you decent traction? For many beginner hikes, that’s all that’s needed. Save the gear optimization for later.

Start flat and work your way to an incline. When it comes to hiking, the most difficult part usually isn’t actually the length of the hike. It’s the elevation gain. The hike that feels like you’re on the StairMaster (even if it’s a mile short) is the one that’ll kick your butt. Not the 7 mile trek on flat ground. So start your hiking journey with minimal or low elevation gain hikes and work your way up from there.

Go with a friend (or group of friends). Getting into hiking is intimidating enough if you’re doing it alone. But there’s something so reassuring about starting a new adventure with a friend. It takes the pressure off. If you don’t have any friends who are into hiking, there are also so many awesome hiking groups on social media.

Train for the elevation you want to hike at. If you’re planning to hike at altitude, you’ll notice you get tired faster and feel like you’re exerting more energy (because you quite literally are). The air is thinner. There’s less oxygen. Your body has to work harder, and so you have to train accordingly. How does this translate? If you live at lower elevations, practice on hikes that are longer and require more elevation gain than the one you’re doing at altitude.

But remember that endurance isn’t everything. Yes, training your heart to keep up, particularly at higher elevations, is important. But the reality is that when you’re tackling a hike with elevation gain, sometimes your legs give out first. Don’t underestimate the value of leg day. I remember thinking cardio was the end all when I first started hiking. But being able to take on some of my bucket list hikes actually only happened once I strengthened my legs.

Turn around before you feel completely exhausted. Don’t wait until your legs can barely hold you up anymore. Or when your heart feels like it’s on fire. Here’s the thing: you don’t actually have to finish every hike you start. The fact that you got out on the trail should be celebrated. If you don’t finish a hike one time, come back the next, when you feel ready. No shame in that.

Don’t worry about the pace other hikers are moving at. When you’re hiking, focus on your own journey and the scenery around you. Forget about the dude who started at the same time as you but somehow made it up and down the mountain in record speed. He’s probably a trail runner anyway, and we all know those folks are a different breed.

Treat yourself. Listen, post-hike burritos are elite. I don’t make the rules. If you’ve pushed yourself on a hike and done something hard, treat yourself after the fact with some delicious post-trek fuel. It gives you something to look forward to the entire journey.

And if you’re hiking in Colorado, that burrito better have green chili smothered all over it. That’s all I have to say about that.

P.S. If you happen to be an experienced hiker and you’re reading this, what advice would you give to your newbie hiker self if you could go back in time?