Alone or accompanied, hiking can chisel away at stress and increase stamina. “The seductive quality of such endeavor lies for many people in the elimination of extraneous stimuli. Gone are the honking car horns, the sticky elevator doors, the demanding bosses … What you do is all part of a flow, a simpler, more reassuring reality … It’s you and the Trail, mano a mano,” writes Jim Chase in Backpacker Magazine’s Guide to the Appalachian Trail (Stackpole Books, 1989).

While you’re building muscles, you could be helping others get in shape too. There are a number of volunteer trail maintenance organizations throughout the U.S. Three of the largest are the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC), the Pacific Northwest Trail Association (PNTA) and the Rails to Trails Conservancy.

The PATC, http://patc.simplenet.com, takes care of a portion of the Appalachian Trail from central Pennsylvania to southern Virginia.

The PNTA, http://pnt.org, monitors an 1,100 mile stretch from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean, crossing Montana, Idaho and Washington.

Or if you’re looking for something closer to home, the Rails to Trails Conservancy, http://www.railtrails.org, is turning thousands of miles of old railways into quiet, recreational trails. All offer hikes, as well as work trips, to meet other hiking enthusiasts. Using volunteer labor and time, they create passages into nature for all to enjoy.

Now that you’re motivated, where can you find a trail, equipment or a hiking buddy? The PATC Web site maintains an excellent outdoor link page for locating guidebooks, hiking clubs and nearby trails throughout the U.S. If you’re within driving distance of the 2,160 mile linear park that stretches from Maine to Georgia, check out the Appalachian Trail Conference’s. REI’s homepage, features equipment, clothing, best rated hikes by REI staff and more.

And don’t forget your own home town. A visit to a local sports shop or tourist information center will provide brochures and local hiking trail maps. There are literally hundreds of state parks and wildlife areas that can entice you to tone up and tune out. Happy hiking!

People don’t know when the urgent situation will occur. Therefore, doctors proposes you to get first aid kit in car, home, office, workplace.

How many calories can you work off? That depends on you. You can boost your calorie burning power by strapping on a backpack with everything you need for an outdoor fitness experience. A 140 lb. person with a 5 lb. pack can burn about 310 calories per hour while a 185 lb. hiker carrying a 20 lb. pack can burn over 500 calories per hour.

Hiking, as a cardiovascular fitness program, uses most of the major muscle groups, according to Dr. Michael Gaudiose, a doctor of sports medicine with Results, Fitness and Therapy Services of Chambersburg, Pa. With a backpack, abdominal and back muscles get a particularly strenuous workout.

Dr. Gaudiose recommends three tips to get in shape for hiking:
Start out slow. Don’t try a 10 mile hike your first time out. “Overuse problems really show up on uneven surfaces. When you get fatigued you are more likely to stumble.” Like any exercise program, begin gradually. Hike shorter distances at first, and stay on level trails. Slowly increase mileage and terrain. “Even for people in good physical shape, 20 miles should probably be the max you want to do in a day,” says Dr. Gaudiose.
Develop strength in your waist, hips and legs. “Three good exercises to achieve that goal are squats, lunges and movements that involve rotating the torso with weight to simulate hiking with a backpack.” Losing your balance with a loaded backpack can be dangerous. Also, work on your quadricep muscles (located on the front of your thighs). When you hit more challenging terrain or steep declines, weaker quadriceps can be strained. That’s where getting into a good muscle strengthening program can be really essential.” Dan Faccenda, an assistant athletic director with Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pa., and certified in strength and conditioning, also suggests leg presses, shoulder shrugs, dumbbell overhead presses, and lat pulldowns. “You want to build up those shoulder and back muscles for a heavy backpack,” says Dan.
Get flexible. “Flexibility is essential for negotiating difficult terrain,” according to Dr. Gaudiose. “You want to be reasonably flexible so you can recover from stumbles that occur with every hiker.”

On wet and cold days, Dr. Gaudiose suggests hikers “use other tools for improving cardiovascular [fitness], like powerwalking on level surfaces, maybe around your neighborhood, or using a treadmill. A lot of treadmills have incline features so you can simulate hiking on steeper ground.” Rain or shine, Faccenda reminds hikers about the hydration factor. “Remember water or even an electrolyte replacement drink.”

When it comes to boots, Andy Wunsch, manager of REI in Conshohocken, Pa., tells beginning hikers to look for “comfort out of the box.” Hiking boots shouldn’t pinch and shouldn’t need to be broken in.

People don’t know at what time the urgent situation can happen. Thus, doctors, safety officials proposes us to have first aid kit contents in your office, car.

Up to this point, the hiking was not unlike any I had done before in the eastern states. Sure, my heart was pounding and, yes, my breathing was labored but this was the Rockies. Plus, just weeks before, I had completed my fourth marathon in Montana. I felt fit and strong.

My friend, Alicia, on the other hand, was like a machine. A bionic hiker of sorts. She has the endurance of an Olympic athlete and the agility of a high-sierra mountain goat. Once she gets going, she doesn’t stop. In fact, stopping to rest “messes” her up. She maintains a rhythm and cadence that is hard to believe much less match.

As for me, I knew this was going to be difficult. I had never hiked above 10,000 feet. So earlier, I made it clear I would be going my own pace and taking my sweet, southern time. Rebecca, who had hiked Mt. Elbert the summer before and “bagged” eight other Colorado Fourteeners, was nursing a hacking cough and maintaining a slower pace.

As we rose above tree line at 12,000 feet, the going got tough. The trail became a rutted, thin line of jagged switchbacks. Spring storms had left thick icy patches of snow that detoured us onto a vast sea of unsteady rocks. Reduced to a Spider-Man like crawl, we continued up the shaky remnants of shattered boulders. This back and fourth over snow, dirt and rock, tested not only our agility but also our fear. “What if any of this gives way?”

We moved quickly. Looking up, I could see Alicia. And just beyond her head I could see the top. I yelled to her, “Hey, look, we’re almost there.”

“Not yet,” two hikers announced as they passed us on their way down. I felt my alpine bubble burst. “That’s not the summit. You have to get up and over that hump, then the next one, then you’re at the summit.” Fine time to learn Mt. Elbert has two false summits.

Shielding our faces from the gusting 40-degree air, we both slowly rose up and busted out laughing at the sheer strength and power of the wind whipping across this mountain peak. “Do you believe that?” I yelled.

“I couldn’t stay up,” Alicia shouted back into the wind.

After regaining her stance and brushing the late June snow off her bare legs, Alicia, just 15 feet ahead of me, began ascending again. Then just as I had stood up and put my right foot forward, I gasped for air. And gasped again. “This can’t be!” my mind raced. No air was getting in my lungs. I tried again. “Alicia, I can’t breathe!” All that wind swirling around my head and no air was getting past my nostrils. Sheer panic set in at 14, 300 feet.

Every summer, hundreds of climbers and hikers take to the trails of Colorado’s 54 Fourteeners — mountains rising 14, 000 feet or more in elevation. For some, it is a pastime. For others, it is an all-out competition. Known as peak baggers, hikers scramble up steep inclines, cross over unstable rockslides and trek beyond stubborn snowfields — all in an effort to achieve the ultimate Colorado mountain challenge.

Alicia O’Connor, a native of Greenwood, South Carolina, longtime friend and fellow adventurer, had already experienced the thrill of bagging a peak. Just the summer before, she and several well-seasoned mountain friends submitted the 14,100 feet of Castle Peak. As she described, “We had to climb across this vast, unsteady field of rocks and find our way with no visible path. It was a lot tougher than any of us expected and there was no turning back. We had to get up and over.” Although a frightening experience, she was ready to bag another one.

So on the cool, clear morning of June 29, Alicia and I along with a friend, Rebecca Hanson, who lives year-round in Aspen, set out to “do a Fourteener.”

Now, for someone who lives and plays at sea level, this was an exhilarating endeavor. Here I was, this self-proclaimed adventurer, personal trainer and fitness enthusiast heading up one of Colorado’s most popular Fourteeners. Not to mention going for the highest vista in the state. Just five days before I had been packing my bags in Greenwood, South Carolina — elevation 660 feet.

The success and popularity of the StairMaster machine has surprised many people in the fitness business because the anticipated high level of boredom expected with its use has not been vocalized. It is a very popular — often the most popular — machine at many health clubs. Although some exercise scientists expected a large dropout rate among users due to knee pain, this has not been the case to any large extent.

Human Growth Hormone pills does boost mass loss and may boost the immune system’s function. The secret to effectual use of HGH pills is knowing how it works.

So, why not give this equipment a try? If you use longer steps rather than short, quick steps, you will work your gluteal (butt) muscles harder during the exercise. Another tip is to remain upright during the activity, rather than leaning over or resting your forearms on the support bars. This will give you a better, more biomechanically sound workout.

The most effective cycle duration is either 12-months or 6-months. One reason is simply because you can break the year into 2 equal cycles; it’s easy to track. The other reason is that you need to allow your body to get everything it can out of each phase of the cycle. You’ll be losing some benefit with anything less than a 2-month phase.

The relative beginner to strength training should adopt the 12-month cycle. As a beginner, you’ll make good gains for the first year without having to follow a “complex” training plan. Since your body has never really experienced a consistent strength program, you’ll more than likely easily achieve good gains. Enjoy the feeling and try to learn about your body.

If you’re past the beginner stage, you need to adopt the 6-month cycle. You’re going to have to start “shocking” your muscles into further strength growth. Look on the bright side, though, because this is where the fun begins by incorporating different exercises and set patterns.

Each phase of the cycle should be broken into 3 equal parts (4 months each for the 12-month cycle and 2 months each for the 6-month cycle). Phase 1 is the preparation phase and incorporates the use of lighter weights and higher reps (12 to 18 per set for big muscle groups {legs, chest, back} and 10 to 12 reps for smaller muscle groups {arms, shoulders, calves, forearms}).

The focus of this phase is to prepare your muscles for the next phase by strengthening your tendons and ligaments and building a good muscle foundation. Unless you’re a beginner, you may not gain any strength during this phase, but you will benefit. You will definitely tone your muscles, prepare a good support structure and become mentally “hungry” to get to the next phase.

Phase 2 is described as the strength phase and incorporates the use of heavier weights and less reps (10 to 12 per set for big muscle groups {legs, chest, back} and 8 to 10 reps for smaller muscle groups {arms, shoulders, calves, forearms}). This rep scheme provides the best potential for muscle strength, definition and shape. You should be really geared up for this phase and hit your workouts with “hunger”. If you’re feeling really good and strong, throw in a little bit of exercise variety and see what happens.

This is the phase where you have to really try and “listen” to your body. If you’re feeling motivated but don’t think you’re getting everything out of your workouts, ask yourself these questions: Do I need to change around my exercise scheme? Do I need to add some exercises? Am I starting to overtrain? How is my nutrition and sleep patterns? Do I need to eat a little more? Monitor yourself closely. You should peak out and look your best during the middle to end of this phase. By the way, you should begin feeling wiped out by the end of this phase. Which brings us to the next phase.

Phase 3 is described as the growth phase and incorporates the use of even heavier weights and fewer reps (8 to 10 per set for big muscle groups {legs, chest, back} and 6 to 8 reps for smaller muscle groups {arms, shoulders, calves, forearms}). Also, this is the time to decrease the intensity of your workouts. Give you body a chance to recover from phase 2. You may want to even cut out a few sets.

Take a little more time between each set so you can push a little more weight (with good form) with probably fewer reps. You should get your biggest muscle mass gains during this phase. You’re going to be expending less calories during this phase (doing less reps and sets), so be aware of your diet. Your muscles should become more “full” with the added rest, heavier weight and lower rep scheme. After all, you’re in the growth phase and will be starting phase 1 with added strength and muscle.

Adopting this “cyclic” approach puts you into a routine and gives you a roadmap to follow down your road of fitness. Does it work for everyone? Absolutely not. However, the human body (and mind) needs to have different experiences: building a foundation, experiencing intensity, recovering. We don’t achieve our “best” by doing the same thing day in and day out. We need some variety; it’s good for the body and mind.