1. One Tough Hike
While we may think that snowshoeing is a relatively easy way to get in a good hike, the elements of this winter sport are grueling and require a very high level of fitness. You can't just strap on the shoes and gently glide your way through the trails. An enormous amount of pressure is put on the legs, including the calves, quadriceps and Achilles tendons. If you run and workout on a regular basis, you'll probably enjoy the hike with little trouble. However, if your workouts have been sporadic and light, you may want to spend some time in heavy aerobic training before heading for the snowy trails.
2. Training for Snowshoeing
Consider how long the snowshoe hike will be and prepare for it by performing your aerobic activity for at least that long. If you will be on the snowy trail for an hour or more, step up your running or speed walking so you can keep going for an hour with only intermittent stops. Snowshoeing is usually done in packs, so your resting times will be determined by a group consensus and you won't be able to keep up with the gang if you have to stop every 10 minutes. Ride a bike or join an aerobics class that will give you that long workout. Most aerobic training will prepare you for snowshoeing.
3. Prevent Pulls
Snowshoeing will stress most of the muscles in your body, so prepare for the hike with a good warm-up routine to avoid injury and muscles exhaustion. Begin with your neck because the better posture that you can maintain during the hike, the easier it will be on your back. Rotate your neck five times in each direction and then look up and hold for 10 seconds, and then point your head down as hard as you can and hold it for 10 seconds. You will have two walking sticks to keep you upright while snowshoeing, so do some stretches for your arms and shoulders. Hold one arm straight across your body and pull gently on the elbow with the other hand. Repeat on the other arm and be careful not to bounce it or pull too hard.
4. Stretching it out
Get on a bike or do a short run before stretching your legs and abs. After the blood is circulating, stop and lean against a wall, standing about two feet away. Lean forward with your hands on the wall and lean in so that your forehead touches the wall. Put one leg forward and repeat the posture. Again, no bouncing or jerky movements when stretching. Finally, pull each foot behind your back steadily to stretch out the quads.
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