• Weight Management

Hiking for Weight Loss: Does it Really Work?

Medically reviewed and edited by Gidget Black MSN, APRN, FNP-BC

If you’re looking for a fun and engaging way to shed some extra pounds and boost your fitness levels, hiking may be the perfect activity.

Unlike gym workouts that can sometimes feel monotonous, hiking offers a great opportunity to connect with nature while you work toward your weight loss goals. 

Hiking also engages multiple muscle groups, helps you burn calories, and improves your well-being.

In this article, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know about hiking for weight loss. We’ll also share some other health benefits of engaging in this activity.

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Can You Lose Weight by Hiking?

Hiking is an excellent cardio exercise that can help you burn a high amount of calories, even if you hike at a slow pace. 

A person weighing 155 pounds can burn around 430 to 550 calories per hour hiking on moderate terrain.

This moderate-intensity exercise elevates your heart rate to the optimal fat-burning zone, which is about 70 to 80% of your maximum heart rate.

Unlike jogging or running, hiking is a low-impact way to decrease your overall body weight. This makes it easier to do longer hikes rather than short bursts of high-intensity exercises, which may be hard on your joints. 

Hiking is beginner-friendly (depending on the trail) and allows you to set your own pace. You can burn up to 250 calories per hour walking at a speed of just 2.5 miles per hour.

Tips for Hiking to Lose Weight

There are some steps to follow if you’re just getting started with hiking for weight loss:

• Choose a beginner’s trail: If you’re new to hiking, don’t start with an advanced trail. Rather, choose a route under five miles that isn’t very steep. You’ll want to be able to finish your first few hikes and enjoy the process before you attempt more challenging terrain.

• Get the right equipment: Always wear moisture-wicking long pants and long-sleeved tops to ensure your comfort. Choose a good pair of shoes that are ideally waterproof. You’ll also want to invest in a sturdy backpack for all your essentials. 

• Choose a good pair of hiking poles: Hiking poles can engage your upper body muscles, increasing the overall intensity of your hike and helping you burn more calories. These can help anybody on their hike — whether it’s your goal to lose weight or simply get fit — especially when navigating uneven terrain.

• Set goals: Choose a sustainable weight loss goal to work toward. This will keep you motivated. An example of a realistic goal could be losing 5% of your body weight within 6 months of hiking.

• Use slopes to your advantage: Try hiking uphill often if you want to lose weight. Although hiking isn’t a race, regularly exerting yourself will help you burn more calories.

• Do exercises during your hike: To burn even more calories while hiking, consider incorporating mini workouts while on your trail, like lunges or pushups.

• Plan regular hikes: Although even one hike a week can help you lose weight, you should aim to hike at least three times a week to create a consistent exercise routine that promotes weight loss. Of course, the possibility of this depends on your individual schedule.  

• Incorporate other forms of exercise: Add other activities to your exercise routine on the days you’re unable to hike.

• Hike at the right pace: Keep a brisk and steady pace to maintain an elevated heart rate, which helps burn more calories. Use a fitness tracker to monitor your pace and heart rate to ensure you get the most out of your hiking and are doing it in a safe manner.

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The Benefits of Hiking

Other than weight loss, there are both mental health and physical benefits of hiking, including: 

Lowering blood pressure

Many people have high blood pressure — referred to as hypertension — without even knowing it.

Hiking is a form of aerobic exercise that increases your heart rate and improves circulation in the body. 

Regular physical activity like hiking also strengthens the heart, helping it to pump blood more efficiently. This can lower blood pressure over time.

Reducing your risk of heart disease 

The workout you get while hiking can help reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

As mentioned above, hiking strengthens the heart and improves cardiovascular fitness. Regular aerobic exercises, like hiking, improve the heart’s efficiency in pumping blood, which helps protect against heart disease.

Hiking can also improve cholesterol levels by raising the amount of good cholesterol — high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the body. 

It lowers the amount of bad cholesterol — low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood. Balanced cholesterol levels decrease plaque buildup in the arteries, lowering the chances of heart disease.

Lowering the risk of diabetes

Regular hikes can enhance a mechanism in the body called insulin sensitivity. This means your body’s cells are more responsive to insulin, allowing for better blood sugar regulation. 

Improved insulin sensitivity reduces the risk of developing insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.

Losing weight through hiking can also help reduce the risk of developing diabetes, as being overweight or obese can lead to this condition.

Finally, hiking builds strong muscles, and increased muscle mass improves glucose uptake by the muscles, which helps to lower blood sugar levels and the risk of diabetes.

Reducing depression and anxiety

Physical activities like hiking stimulate the release of natural chemicals like endorphins in the brain. Endorphins promote feelings of happiness and can reduce sensations of pain. This can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Exercise also reduces the stress hormones in the body, such as adrenaline and cortisol. Lowering these hormones can help reduce anxiety and improve your mood.

Hiking with friends, family, or groups provides social interaction and support, which can be crucial for individuals living with depression and anxiety. Social connections can provide a sense of belonging and reduce feelings of isolation.

Improving sleep

Hiking is a sustained physical activity that helps tire the body out. This physical exertion increases the body’s need for restorative sleep, making it easier to fall and stay asleep at night.

Regular physical activity also helps to reset the body’s internal clock, known as circadian rhythm. A well-regulated circadian rhythm promotes a consistent sleep-wake cycle, leading to better sleep patterns.

Hiking can improve the quality of your sleep by increasing the amount of deep sleep you get. Deep sleep is the most restorative phase that leaves you feeling well-rested and rejuvenated the next morning.

Building strong muscles

Hiking works a wide range of muscles, particularly in the legs. Hiking on uneven terrain engages the core muscles that you need for stability and balance. This helps to strengthen your muscles.

The varying inclines and declines of hiking trails engage different muscle groups, making them work harder. For example, hiking uphill strengthens the glutes and calves, while downhill hiking engages the hamstrings and stabilizing muscles.

Hiking is a weight-bearing exercise, meaning you carry your body weight as you move. This type of activity helps burn calories, and build muscle mass and strength.

Supporting bone health

As mentioned before, hiking is a weight-bearing exercise, which means your muscles and bones work against gravity. This type of activity stimulates bone-forming cells called osteoblasts, which help build and strengthen bones.

Regular hiking can boost and preserve bone density, potentially reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. The consistent impact of your feet striking the ground creates a force that promotes bone strength.

Hiking also helps maintain joint health by stimulating the production of synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints. Lubricated, healthy joints support better movement and reduce the risk of joint-related issues that can affect bone health.

Improving balance

Hiking, especially on uneven terrain, engages your core muscles, which are essential for maintaining stability. This makes hiking an excellent activity for improving balance.

As mentioned earlier, hiking also works the muscles in the legs, which is necessary for better support and stability, enhancing balance.

Hiking often involves walking on rocks, roots, inclines, and declines. Navigating different terrains forces your body to constantly adjust, improving your ability to maintain balance on different surfaces. 

Enhancing respiratory function and lung capacity

Hiking is a type of exercise that requires increased oxygen intake. This boosts the efficiency of your respiratory system, as your lungs must work harder to supply oxygen to your muscles.

The physical demands of hiking strengthen the diaphragm and the muscles between the ribs — referred to as the intercostal muscles — which are essential for better breathing. Stronger respiratory muscles improve lung function and capacity. 

Where Can I Learn More about Weight Loss?

Hiking is an excellent activity for weight loss, but there are other ways to effectively lose weight.

You can shed extra pounds and achieve your goals with clinical guidance by joining the LifeMD Weight Management Program. 

You’ll have access to innovative GLP-1 medications (if you qualify), clinical support, lab testing, and guidance from a team of medical professionals.

Visit our website to learn more about our weight loss program and how it’s clinically proven to help you lose weight.

Gidget Black MSN, APRN, FNP-BC

Gidget is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She received her Master of Science degree in Nursing degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2014. Gidget began as a nurse practitioner in an orthopedic surgery practice where she managed clinical patients and assisted in the operating room. She established a weight management and integrative wellness program to improve outcomes for overweight orthopedic patients. Patients who participated in this program demonstrated improved post-op healing and pain scores. More importantly, the patients were empowered with health literacy for long term-health maintenance. Gidget approaches patient care from a root cause perspective, understanding that we treat the person and not the disease — and that vitality creates longevity. She has also served as an adjunct clinical professor and guest lecturer at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.

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