The Perfect Exercise. . . For Me

Exercise is a very personal matter. When, where, what type, what duration, what intensity. These are all very individual preferences and decisions. No one can tell you what will work best for you, simply based on what has worked for them. And you do hear a lot of conflicting information about what is best. Cardio or strength training? Long sessions or short bursts? Heavy weights or high repetitions? Gym or home?

I have done a lot of reading, experimenting and rejecting of exercise in my day. And I have learned that there are 2 basic truths:

1. Exercise is good
2. The BEST exercise is the one that you will actually come back to again and again

I suspect a lot of you have, at one time or another, obtained a gym membership. Maybe you’ve embraced these workouts, developed a schedule, made notes of your progress. Or maybe, you attended faithfully for the first month, then once or twice over the next several months, and finally, the only gym related activities you’re involved in are watching them debit your checking account every month.

So keep trying anything that is not dangerous, especially if its interesting to you. Many things won’t stick, for any number of reasons. But occasionally, something will, and it may become a part of your life for many years to come, or maybe even forever.

One such activity, for me, is hiking. “Hike” is defined as “to walk or march a great distance, especiallly through rural areas.” Pretty broad and wide reaching definition. Which sort of sums up hiking for me.

I fell in love with hiking over 20 years ago. At that time the motivation was the reward at the end of the trail. I climbed to my first stunning view of the White Mountains and I was hooked. Knowing that vista was waiting for me was enough to keep me climbing. Each time you attempt a different uphill hike, the view is different, but spectacular. To this day I have still not gotten used to, or bored with, the view you can get from such an altitude.

Aside from an amazing view at the end, there are so many other beautiful things to see: Wildlife like deer, snakes, birds, beavers and dams, and butterflies; amazing variants in trees and flowers; tunnels and caves; streams, rivers, and beautiful waterfalls. I remember one hike my friend Jeanne and I took with our husbands at the time which was a very difficult, constant uphill journey. Once we reached our destination we were surprised to find a gorgeous swimming hole. The guys stripped down to their underwear and we all enjoyed cooling off in the water before heading back down. A great adventure and a forever memory.

Sometimes there’s a known structure you might be heading for, or something unexpected. Stone walls are very common. On well travelled trails there might be a boardwalk to cover muddy areas, or a footbridge to cross a stream. Remains of something larger can often be found. Homes, castles, cemeteries, plane wrecks, towers, even whole villages are out there waiting to be explored. It’s not difficult to find such spots if you do a little digging.

Gorgeous sights at every turn are not the only reason I fell in love with hiking. Hiking can be any level of physical exertion that you wish. You can find a flat, wide path around a small pond with very little elevation or rough terrain. Alternatively, you can attempt a steep climb that will use every muscle in your body and leave you breathless at the top, and sore the next day. Or you can find any level in between. And you can choose not only the exertion level, but also the length of time you spend, from the 10 minutes it will take you to hike from the parking lot out to Doanes Falls in the Berkshires in Massachusetts, to an overnight, steep trip climbing Mount Washington in New Hampshire. In every case, its great cardiovascular exercise, and in many cases, also a challenging leg workout.

If the scenery and workout benefits aren’t enough of a reason, hiking can also offer a sense of peace that you will find nowhere else. I rarely hike alone–only on well-travelled, smaller, flat trails, with other people around and minimal chance of an injury–but when hiking with a partner like my boyfriend, Jay, we can walk along for periods of time in complete silence, literally leaving the hustle and bustle behind us. And, interestingly enough, if you seek the opposite, some social interaction, hiking is also ideal for that. Recently, during covid days, my friends and I would meet on a saturday or sunday morning for a hike in the woods where we could catch up, share some laughs, and still get in some much needed fresh air and exercise.

I’m sure it’s easy to see why hiking is my preferred method of exercise.

Itching to get started? When you are planning some hiking, be sure to do your homework, and be prepared. Figure out what type of hike you want to attempt and find a good spot. Alltrails is a popular app that lists hundreds of trails within driving distance and will give you the information you need: terrain type, level of difficulty, how long it should take. In most cases you’ll even find a map to help make sure you don’t get lost. Its good to familiarize yourself with the details of the trail before you start out. Take it from someone who gets lost easily, and has gotten lost several times in the woods. This is especially true if there are multiple trails in the area. You want to know which trail you are following and know which way you need to head if you come to an intersection or your 30 minute hike can quickly become a 2 hour hike. If possible, take a screen shot of the trail as you will often not have a signal on your phone once you’re out on your hike in the woods.

Be prepared to be comfortable with whichever type of hike you choose. Comfortable clothing and shoes are a necessity. A short, flat hike can be attempted with regular walking shoes or sneakers. When attempting anything uphill, or rocky, you’ll want a sturdier, traction shoe or hiking boot. Will it be cold or rainy? Plan for that. Bring water on any length hike, and snacks for longer hikes. You’ll want a comfortable backpack for your supplies. Lastly, bug spray is essential, particularly something to combat ticks, which are inevitable in the woods.

Hiking has it all: A Peaceful, short stroll in a beautiful environment or a heart-pounding, longer workout with lots of chatter and companions, you can alter hiking to any energy level, social level, timeframe, and goal. To pick out your first hike, identify the element that is most important to you and use an app, or an online search to locate options close to you. Or keep an eye on my blog, where I’ll be featuring some of my favorites in the future. In the meantime, if you’re looking for me, I’m probably on the trails.