1. Get There Faster
Achieve aerobic-level heartbeat and respiration in half the time by walking up and down hills. The additional effort needed to get up a hill will get the blood pumping and heart beating almost immediately. Because of this extra exertion, you'll want to make sure your heart is in good shape before taking on any steep hills.
2. What Goes up Must Come Down
Downhill walking calls on a different set of organ and muscle stressors. You need to have good balance to hold your body upright as you descend. While you use the muscles in your calves and buttocks to pull yourself up a hill, the knees, joints and ankles absorb the bulk of the pounding coming back down. Take smaller steps as you walk downhill, keep your knees bent to reduce the impact and slow down to avoid falling.
3. Urban Sprawl
City walking in towns such as Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Asheville, North Carolina offer fantastic opportunities to get a great muscle and cardio workout from hill walking. You can shop; people watch or travel to and from work, all while getting in a daily exercise. Not everyone is into the great outdoor and remote hiking trails, but that doesn't mean you can't get a great workout. If you live in a hilly town, walk the streets whenever you can. Many of these towns even offer in-town walking clubs.
4. Sculpted Calves
Maintain a straight posture while hill climbing to give your legs and butt the most concentrated workout. While bending at the waist reduces the strain of climbing, the more you bend, the more pressure you take off your legs. The less you swing your arms when walking uphill, the more your legs will work too. Think about what muscles you want to employ when hill walking instead of letting your body decide to take the hills with the least amount of effort. Concentrate on the tightening of your calves, thighs and buttocks as you walk.
5. Gear or No Gear
Any kinds of shoes that work for general walking can serve you well for hill walking. Be careful when choosing walking shoes with heels however. It is easier to turn your ankle when walking up and down hills. One of the biggest differences is the pressure that you put on your toes when coming down a hill. For many people, shoes with open toes, like good sandals with Velcro straps, are the best choice for extended up and down walking.
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