Healthy, Happy Trails

A gym alternative that's got everyone breathing fresh air.

Now that the weather's warm, give the StairMaster a break and take a hike. "There are only a certain number of dumbbells," says Seth Levy of the American Hiking Society. "But when hiking, you have an infinite variety of workouts and levels -- and better scenery than in your gym!" No wonder the number of hiking outings has increased 20% since 1998.

Walking on a flat trail for an hour, a 140-pound person can burn as much as 300 calories. Pick a more challenging spot with hills, and you burn 445 calories or more. Hiking also builds flexibility and strength. Going uphill firms the calves and glutes, while downhill jaunts tone the quadriceps. To exercise your upper body and take pressure off bad knees, try trekking poles, which look and work like cross-country ski poles.

Get started on June 4, National Trails Day. Use the trail finder at americanhiking.org to find a hike near you.

From Reader's Digest - June 2006

 

• Lose the Weight
• • Cardio Workouts
• Exercise

• 5 Best Hikes in America
• From the Appalachian Trail to Kilauea Iki, here are five walks you'll never forget.
• 
• Get Out and Play!
• Say farewell to winter and hello to fitness with fun ideas for playing outdoors.
• 
• Real-Life Exercise
• Tips for building strength and skill that you can use on a daily basis.
• 

“ Remove dust and dirt from ceiling fans and air-conditioner vents with a cloth and a vacuum with a soft nozzle attachment. ”

• See All Tips

• Be Inspired
• Meet a 12-Year-Old Making a Difference
• Help Prevent Teen Car Crashes
• Meet 6 Incredible Individuals
• PLUS:
• Quiz: Match the Celebrity With the Cause

My mother is on staff at the Department of Motor Vehicles, and one day a close friend of hers came in to apply for a driver's license. While entering the information into a computer, my mom noticed the woman had given 150 pounds as her weight. Knowing she weighed considerably more, my mom commented, "You're putting down your weight as 150?" "If a policeman pulls me over," her friend said with a grin, "that's the part of me he'll see."

-- Gina Bremmer