by John Smith

Created on: June 02, 2011

The Benefits of a Good Hiking Rhythm

Fresh air, sunshine, exercise: A list of the benefits of hiking could go on and on. Some may be surprised to find however that there really is an art to hiking, the key to which is finding and maintaining a good hiking rhythm.

A hiking rhythm is more than the pace of a hike. It is the tempo, the core, much like the rhythm of a song is the core of the music. It may change from verse to chorus or from downhill to uphill, but getting into a good hiking rhythm will help to ensure that you maintain a good pace that you can keep up throughout the hike and that you don't run out of steam or even become injured due to symptoms of over-exhaustion like stumbling or fainting.

A good hiking rhythm will also help to maintain a healthy heart rate and rate of breathing which in turn prevents cramping and common temporary exercise sickness due to a lack of oxygen. Familiarization with your personal hiking rhythm will open the door to the ability to maximize the efficiency of your time, allowing you to better plan for distances and terrains as you become more familiar with yourself and how you hike.

While the ideal rhythm will be different for different individuals and terrains, a good rule of thumb is to maintain a constant pace that allows you to talk without struggling to breathe. This doesn't mean that you have to talk your way through a hike, but it helps you to pinpoint a comfortable hiking rhythm that will become instinct for you as hike more and more.

Hiking alone? That's okay, say the words to your favorite song out loud or try to remember those Shakespeare lines you were forced to learn back in high school. The words are not what are important, the objective is to discover your rhythm and to incorporate that into your hike.

Remember, if you are hiking with others, no matter the size of the group, the group's rhythm should match that of the slowest hiker. Trying to force someone into a faster rhythm puts them in a dangerous situation and puts you on the bad friends list.

So next time you are out enjoying a refreshing and relaxing hike, take a moment to dial in your hiking rhythm and experience a hike that is both beneficial and enjoyable.

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