The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults do 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise every week, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. But that doesn't have to mean going to the gym. Hiking is a low-impact way of getting your exercise in, enjoying time outside and even sharing quality time with friends. Carrying a backpack increases the intensity of your exercise, but also introduces a few considerations you should be aware of.
Fit
Making sure your backpack fits correctly not only helps prevent injury and discomfort in your shoulders and back, it also makes your hikes more enjoyable so you're more likely to repeat them. Wear a backpack with a waist belt, which contrary to its name goes around the top of your hips, not the waist. This belt is meant to support the bulk of the pack's weight, with the shoulder straps acting more as balance points than load bearers.
Impact
Hiking and other types of walking are low-impact and weight bearing. This means that the bones, muscles and joints of your lower back, hips, legs and feet all support your weight as you move, and every footfall generates some impact that these body structures must absorb -- but no as much as, say, running. Adding a backpack increases the amount of impact on your bones and joints, which could go one of two ways: The increased load and impact could help you build stronger bones, muscles and joints, or it could cause damage if you have weak bones or other injuries. Consult a medical professional, if necessary, to find out which is the case for you.
Sport Specificity
Simply put, sport specificity means that you get better at what you practice. So if you intend to take a long backpacking outing, hiking with a backpack on is one of the best ways to physically prepare yourself for the coming trip. Pack your backpack as if you were going on the backpacking trip, weigh the load, then work your way up to carrying that much on your training hikes. Hiking with a backpack is also good practice for mountaineering trips, traveling -- if you plan to carry your belongings in a backpack -- or even carrying a soon-to-be-born child in a backpack carrier.
Alternatives
Although hiking with a backpack can be a beneficial training tool that fits right in if you live near a park or wilderness trails, it might draw unwanted attention in an urban environment. Wearing a weight vest is a less-attention-getting but still beneficial way of carrying extra weight to increase exercise intensity as you walk. Hiking uphill or pushing yourself to walk faster are other ways of increasing exercise intensity, with or without a backpack or weight vest.
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