How to train for a hike: walking and hill fitness, strength for the legs and the pack, a week-by-week build-up to your big day, altitude and safety

You don't need to be fit to start

An easy trail is mostly low-intensity walking, and inactive adults aged 55 to 75 got fitter on a twice-weekly hiking programme. A big day or a multi-day trek is where a build-up pays off.

Sources 1, 2

No trial has tested training for a hike

The best evidence is from soldiers: strength plus aerobic training at least 3 times a week for 4 weeks or more, with progressively heavier loaded walks, improved carrying a load most. We read it across to hikers.

Source 3

Walk, climb and get stronger

Walk more and lengthen one walk a week towards your longest day. Add hills or stairs once a week (stair climbing raised fitness by 7 to 17% in 6 to 8 weeks in trials) and strength work twice a week, as our hiking training workout does.

Sources 4, 5

Train for the descents

Walking steeply downhill loads the knee at 7 to 8.5 times body weight, three quarters of hiking falls in the Austrian Alps happened on the way down, and a short downhill walk protected thighs from a long descent a week later. Poles help.

Sources 6, 7, 8, 9

Add your pack slowly, and give yourself time

Start at about 10% of your body weight and stay under about 30% (our rule; no study sets a safe limit). For a multi-day trek or a big mountain day, give yourself 8 to 12 weeks if you can: our editorial suggestion, read across from soldier and stair-climbing trials.

Sources 10, 3

Fitness won't stop altitude sickness

A slow ascent does. With a heart condition, see your GP before a big trip and take the first day easy (see the warning signs).

Sources 11, 12, 13

Hours of moderate effort, with hard climbs

On an "easy" marked trail, 72 adults spent about 82% of the time at low intensity, and slope was what pushed the effort up. The NHS counts hiking as moderate activity and walking up the stairs as vigorous. Our hiking guide gives the effort figures for hill walking and backpacking.

Sources 1, 14

Up and down

Climbs work the hips, thighs and calves. Descents load the knees much more than the flat: walking down a steep 19% slope put 7 (men) to 8.5 (women) times body weight through the knee. Rough ground asks for balance and steady ankles.

Sources 6, 15

The pack

Every kilogram adds to the energy cost of walking, and weight on the feet costs more than weight on the back. A pack changes how you walk: more forward lean, shorter steps and higher forces through the legs.

Sources 16, 17

Height

Above about 2,500 m, the same pace feels harder (in 8 endurance athletes, their maximum fitness fell about 6% for every 1,000 m) and altitude sickness becomes possible.

Sources 18, 12

How people differ

Women, older and less active hikers spent more of an easy trail at high intensity, so the same trail is a bigger day for some: pick routes to suit, and build up (our reading). A heavier pack for your body weight went with more injuries on long treks. A past ankle sprain makes balance work more important. Heart disease, diabetes and a past heart attack were more common in men who died suddenly while hiking. Fitness doesn't change your risk of altitude sickness.

Sources 1, 2, 19, 13, 11

This page and our hiking guide

This page is the plan: how to train for a hike, how long it takes, a week-by-week build-up, training without hills, adding your pack and preparing for descents and altitude. Our hiking guide covers the sport: why each exercise helps, hiking injuries and knees on descents, walking poles, pack weight evidence in full, heat and cold on the hill, altitude sickness and mountain rescue. Both use the same two hiking workouts.

A quick self-check (our suggestion)

Can you walk briskly for 30 minutes on the flat, climb a few flights of stairs without stopping, and carry a light day pack for an hour? If so, you can start the build-up below. If 30 minutes of brisk walking is hard, start with our walking plan and come back to this when it's easy: that's also the first step of our incline walking guide.

Pick a target, then count back

Write down your big day: how far, how much climbing, how heavy the pack, and how many days in a row. Then count the weeks you have and fit the build-up to them (our suggestion).

Check first

With a heart condition, chest pain or breathlessness when you're active, diabetes, a pregnancy, a knee or ankle problem, or a trip above 2,500 m, read the warning signs below before you start.

Sources 14, 13

No trial of training for a hikeMixed evidence

We found no randomised or controlled trial of a training programme before a hike, trek or backpacking trip. The evidence is borrowed: soldiers carrying loads, stair-climbing trials, hiking programmes as exercise, downhill walking studies and surveys of long-distance hikers. So the build-up on this page is editorial.

Sources 3, 4, 8

Soldiers: strength, aerobic work and loaded walks togetherEmerging evidence

In a systematic review of 10 studies, strength plus aerobic training at least 3 times a week for at least 4 weeks gave large improvements in carrying a load, and adding progressively heavier loaded walks gave much larger ones. Aerobic or strength training alone had smaller, more variable effects. It's military research, and we read it as applying to hiking with a pack.

Sources 3, 16

Stairs raise fitnessEmerging evidence

In 15 inactive young women, 8 weeks of climbing a 199-step staircase, building from 1 to 5 climbs a day, 5 days a week, raised their maximum fitness by 17% against women who didn't train. In 31 inactive women, three 20-second all-out stair climbs, 3 days a week for 6 weeks, raised fitness by 12%, and three 60-second climbs by 7%.

Sources 4, 5

Hiking itself builds fitnessEmerging evidence

In 27 adults aged 55 to 75, 13 of them previously inactive, hiking twice a week for 8 weeks improved fitness, though there was no comparison group. Most of an easy trail is low-intensity walking.

Sources 2, 1

Training went with fewer injuries on a long trailEmerging evidence

Of 1,295 Appalachian Trail hikers, the 13% who didn't train beforehand had nearly 3 times the odds of reporting a muscle or joint injury, and strength and endurance training, poles and supportive footwear went with fewer problems. It's a survey, so it shows an association, not cause and effect.

Source 20

How many weeks

No study sets it. The soldier gains came from at least 4 weeks of training, and the stair trials ran 6 to 8 weeks. Our editorial suggestion: 8 to 12 weeks for a multi-day trek or a big mountain day, 4 to 6 weeks for a long day walk if you're already active, and longer if you're starting from little activity. Take any week twice if it felt hard.

Sources 3, 4, 5

A typical week (our editorial starting point)

Three or four walks, one of them your long walk; one hill or stair session (our hill and stair conditioning); two strength sessions on non-consecutive days (our hiking training workout); and at least one rest day.

Change one thing at a time

Add time, hills or pack weight, but not all at once: our hill and stair session's rule is to add load or time in small steps, never both at once. If your legs are still heavy the next morning, repeat the week.

Short on time

In 2 weeks you can't build much fitness, but you can practise: walk the distance in shorter chunks, wear your boots and pack, and do a short downhill walk, which protected young adults' thighs for at least 4 weeks in a trial. Rest in the last few days (our suggestion).

Source 21

Stairs and stair machinesEmerging evidence

Stair climbing raised fitness in both stair trials. Climb briskly, walk down slowly holding the rail, and use a step mill or stair-stepper in the gym. Our stair climber guide covers the machine.

Sources 4, 5

A treadmill on an incline

Walking up a treadmill slope works the same muscles as a climb. Our incline walking guide sets out how to start, at 3 to 5% for 10 to 15 minutes, and how to build up.

Step-ups with your pack

Step-ups are the closest home exercise to climbing. Add height before weight, then wear your rucksack, as our hiking training workout suggests.

Descents without hills (our suggestion)

Slow step-downs from a stair, walking down flights of stairs slowly, and a treadmill set to a decline if yours has one. Start with a few minutes and build up week by week.

Going down loads the knees mostEmerging evidence

Walking down a 19% slope loaded the knee joint at 7 to 8.5 times body weight, with much higher forces than walking on the flat, and downhill walking raised the forces through the hip, knee and kneecap in 18 men. These are small lab studies.

Sources 6, 15, 22

Most falls happen on the way downStrong evidence

In the Austrian Alps, 75% of 5,368 hikers' fall accidents happened on the descent, and 69% of women's hiking accidents from 2015 to 2021 were on descents. That's from accident records, which show where falls happen rather than why.

Sources 7, 23

A small dose of downhill walking protects your thighsEmerging evidence

Five minutes of walking down a steep treadmill slope a week before a 40-minute downhill walk halved the later strength loss in 36 untrained men. Twenty minutes protected for more than 4 weeks, and building weekly downhill walks from 10 to 70 minutes avoided muscle damage while building as much strength. These were studies on treadmill ramps in young adults, mostly men; the authors call a small volume of downhill walking "crucial in preparation for trekking".

Sources 8, 21, 24

PolesEmerging evidence

On a steep ramp, poles cut knee forces by 12 to 25%, and they lowered joint loads with no pack and with packs of 15% and 30% of body weight. After a walk up and down Snowdon, 37 walkers who used poles had less soreness and strength loss over the next 2 days. A review found they make the heart and lungs work harder. Our hiking guide covers poles in full.

Sources 25, 26, 9, 27

What to do (our editorial suggestion)

Include some downhill walking or slow step-downs every week of your build-up, starting small, as the trials did. Practise with poles if you'll use them. On the day, shorten your steps and slow down on the way down. Runners can use our downhill running practice.

No study sets a safe weightMixed evidence

In 15 experienced women hikers, a pack of 20% of body weight already changed posture and raised shoulder discomfort, and the authors suggested a limit of 30%. Studies of injuries are mixed: a heavier pack for your body weight went with injury in 1,206 trekkers, and a heavier base pack with illness or injury on the John Muir Trail, but in 1,201 outdoor school students pack weight didn't predict injury.

Sources 10, 19, 28, 29, 30

A pack changes how you walk and what it costsStrong evidence

Across 54 studies, a backpack increased forward lean and the forces through the legs and shortened the stride. The energy cost rises with the weight carried, your speed and the slope, and weight on your feet costs more than weight on your back, so lighter boots may help on long days (our reading).

Sources 17, 16

Practise carrying itEmerging evidence

In soldiers, training that included progressively heavier loaded walks gave the biggest gains in carrying a load. Train with the pack you'll carry in the last few weeks.

Source 3

How to add it

Rucksack: start at about 10% of your body weight and stay under about 30%, as our rucking guide suggests; one lab study of women hikers suggested no more than 30%. Do up the hip belt and keep the load close to your back.

Add weight or time in small steps, never both at once, as our hill and stair session says.

Boots and blistersEmerging evidence

Blisters were the commonest problem in 280 Appalachian Trail hikers (64%). Wear your boots and socks on your training walks so the big day isn't their first long one (our suggestion).

Sources 31, 20

Fitness doesn't prevent altitude sicknessStrong evidence

In 827 mountaineers climbing to 4,559 m, training, age, sex and body weight made no difference, while a slow ascent and recent time at altitude cut acute mountain sickness in susceptible people from 58% to 7%. Smaller studies agree, and TravelHealthPro says physical fitness doesn't appear to protect. One self-report survey of tourists linked poor fitness with more symptoms, but the stronger studies don't.

Sources 11, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36

How common it isStrong evidence

In the Swiss Alps, acute mountain sickness affected 9% of climbers at 2,850 m, 34% at 3,650 m and 53% at 4,559 m; in Eastern Alps hikers, about 7% at 2,200 m rising to 38% at 3,500 m.

Sources 37, 38

A slow ascent is what protects you

The NHS says you can get altitude sickness at high altitude, usually more than 2,500 m above sea level, in places such as Mount Kilimanjaro, Everest and some places in the Alps, and that you can't get it in the UK. Symptoms usually start 6 to 10 hours after you arrive: a headache, loss of appetite, feeling or being sick, tiredness, dizziness and difficulty sleeping.

A review by the lead author of the Wilderness Medical Society's guideline gives 300 to 600 m a night above 2,500 to 3,000 m, with a rest day every 3 to 4 days; we use the NHS figure, as our hiking guide does. To lower your risk, the NHS advises:

• Travel or climb to a high altitude slowly, and spend a few days below 2,500 m before going higher.
• Above 3,000 m, try not to sleep more than 500 m higher than the night before, and have a rest day at the same height every 3 to 4 days.
• Try not to go from below 1,200 m to above 3,500 m in one day, or to fly straight to a high place; if you have to, rest for a day before going higher.
• Drink enough water, and don't drink alcohol while you're travelling or climbing.
• See a GP or travel clinic if you've had altitude sickness before or will be going up quickly.

Sources 12, 39

The same pace feels harderEmerging evidence

In 8 endurance athletes, maximum fitness fell about 6% for every 1,000 m of height, so slow down at altitude. Train as for any big, hilly hike: we found no evidence that "altitude training" at home helps trekkers, though we didn't search that question in depth.

Source 18

The first dayEmerging evidence

In men who died suddenly while hiking, a previous heart attack, coronary disease, diabetes and high cholesterol were more common, and regular mountain activity less common. Unusual effort on the first day at altitude is a trigger, so build up beforehand and take the first day easy.

Sources 13, 40

On the hill: call 999 or 112

For an injury, illness or someone lost or overdue, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue. Have the location, the casualty's name, age and injuries, the number in your group and your phone number ready, and don't move until the rescue team has contacted you. Register your phone with emergencySMS before you go, as Mountain Rescue England and Wales advises: it lets you contact 999 by text. The whistle signal is six long blasts in a minute, a minute's pause, then repeat.

Source 41

Before you set off

AdventureSmart UK asks three questions before you set off: am I confident I have the knowledge and skills for the day, do I know what the weather will be like, and do I have the right gear? Mountain Rescue England and Wales adds: plan your route, check the mountain weather forecast, leave your route with someone, let the slowest in the group set the pace, and carry spare clothing, a hat and gloves, food and water, a map and compass, a torch, a whistle and a first aid kit.

Stop and get medical help

If you get chest pain or pressure, feel faint or dizzy, are unusually breathless, or your heart races or beats irregularly during exercise, as our plans advise.

Call 999 (911 in the US)

For chest pain that comes on suddenly and doesn't go away, feels tight or like squeezing, spreads to your arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness; severe difficulty breathing; someone who faints while exercising; palpitations that don't go away, or come with chest pain, shortness of breath or feeling faint; or a headache that starts suddenly and is extremely painful, especially while lifting or straining, or comes with numbness or weakness, difficulty speaking or loss of vision. The NHS says a bleed on the brain may be more likely when lifting something heavy. Don't drive yourself to A&E.

Sources 42, 43, 44

Suddenly more breathless than usual

Call NHS 111 (in the US, your doctor or an urgent care centre) if you're suddenly more short of breath than usual, or have chest pain with feeling sick or a heartbeat that races, skips or flutters.

Who should check first

Sudden cardiac death while hiking was linked with a previous heart attack, coronary artery disease, diabetes and high cholesterol in men over 34. See your GP before a big trip, build up regular hill walking, and take the first day easy.

The NHS advises speaking to your GP first if you haven't exercised for some time or have medical conditions or concerns. The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone (PAR-Q+) asks about heart conditions, chest pain, dizziness, other long-term conditions and joint problems, and suggests a qualified exercise professional first if you're over 45 and not used to hard exercise; climbing hills and stairs is vigorous.

With a heart condition, or chest pain or breathlessness when you're active, speak to your GP first: stairs are vigorous exercise.

Sources 13, 14

Altitude sickness: if you get symptoms

Tell someone you're with, rest at the same height until you feel better, and take painkillers or anti-sickness medicine if you need to. If symptoms get worse or don't improve after a day, go 300 to 1,000 m lower if you can.

Source 12

Altitude sickness: get medical help straight away

The NHS says to get medical help immediately, and go 300 to 1,000 m lower if you can, if someone with altitude sickness feels very unwell, is confused, has problems with balance or coordination, sees or hears things that aren't there, is short of breath at rest, has a cough with frothy or bloody spit, has blue or grey skin, lips, tongue or nails, or is very sleepy or hard to wake.

Altitude: fitness doesn't protect you

TravelHealthPro, the UK's travel health service, says acute mountain sickness affects about 9 to 25% of people who haven't acclimatised at 2,000 to 3,000 m and 35 to 50% at 3,500 to 4,500 m. "Physical fitness does not appear to protect against altitude illness", and how you did at altitude before is probably the best guide. It calls Kilimanjaro climbs in under 7 days a concern and advises always trekking with an experienced guide.

See a GP or travel clinic first if you've had altitude sickness before or will be going up quickly. TravelHealthPro advises that "people with pre-existing medical conditions should consult with their healthcare provider prior to travel", and always trekking with an experienced guide.

Source 35

Pregnancy and altitude

TravelHealthPro advises avoiding high altitude in the first trimester, and reports the World Health Organization's view that sleeping above 3,000 m isn't advisable in pregnancy. Our pregnancy guide has the NHS advice.

WHO advises avoiding activity that might limit oxygen, such as exercise at high altitude when you don't normally live there. The numbers vary:

NHS Best Start in Life: avoid exercising at 2,500 m or higher until you're used to the altitude.

Heat

Heat exhaustion brings tiredness, dizziness, a headache, feeling or being sick, heavy sweating with pale, clammy skin, cramps, a high temperature and intense thirst. Move to a cool place, drink and cool your skin: you should start to feel better within 30 minutes. To prevent it, the NHS advises more cold drinks, especially when you're active, light, loose clothing, avoiding the sun between 11am and 3pm, and avoiding extreme exercise.

The NHS says to call 999 for signs of heatstroke: still being unwell after 30 minutes of resting somewhere cool, being cooled and drinking; a very high temperature; hot skin that isn't sweating; a fast heartbeat; fast breathing or breathlessness; confusion and lack of coordination; a seizure; or loss of consciousness.

Source 45

Cold

Hypothermia is a body temperature below 35°C, and frostbite can happen at 0°C or below. Carry spare clothing, a hat and gloves "even in summer", as Mountain Rescue England and Wales advises, wear several loose layers with a waterproof outer layer, and eat and drink regularly.

Call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency) for hypothermia, such as shivering, pale cold skin, slurred speech, slow breathing, tiredness or confusion, and for frostbite with hard, frozen skin, swelling and loss of feeling, or blisters. Mountain Rescue England and Wales lists the signs to watch for in others: "Disorientation, confusion, shivering, tiredness, pale complexion and loss of circulation in hands or toes", adding that children and older people are especially at risk.

Sources 46, 47

Sprains, knees and possible fractures

Call 999 or go to A&E if you heard a crack, the injured part has changed shape or points at an odd angle, it's numb or tingling, or the skin has turned blue or grey or is cold. Get help from NHS 111 if it's very painful or swollen, you can't put weight on it or walk more than a few steps, or a knee locks or gives way.

Go to A&E (accident and emergency) if you've injured your knee and it has changed shape, it becomes very swollen very quickly, you felt a pop or snap, you can see bone sticking out, or it's bleeding heavily. Don't drive yourself: ask someone to take you, or call 999 if the pain means you can't move your leg to get there.

Get advice from NHS 111 now: you cannot move the knee or put any weight on it, or it is very painful, badly swollen or has changed shape.

You hurt your knee and cannot take 4 steps, or you are 55 or over and have injured it: get it checked the same day for a broken bone.

Sources 48, 49

An ankle that keeps giving way: see a GP

An ankle that keeps giving way months after a sprain.

Knees on descents and stairs

Knee pain on stairs or descents: use a lower step and see our knee pain when hiking guide.

If going downstairs already hurts your knees, get that checked rather than pushing through repeats, as the stair climbing page advises.

Descents load the knee most, and poles reduce the load. Our knee arthritis and knee replacement guides cover exercise with a sore or replaced knee.

A previous ankle sprain

Repeat sprains are common, and balance training and a brace for sport cut them, as our ankle sprain guide explains.

Blisters

Get help from NHS 111 if a blister is very painful or keeps coming back, or looks infected: hot and filled with green or yellow pus, with red skin around it.

Source 50

Sore thighs after your first long descent (our suggestion)

Thighs that ache for a few days after your first long descent are expected. After an unusually long or hard day, the signs below are not ordinary soreness.

Not ordinary soreness

After hard or unfamiliar exercise, these are not ordinary soreness. They can be signs of rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that NHS clinical guidance describes as potentially life-threatening; its main danger is damage to the kidneys. Get urgent medical help if you have:

• Muscle cramps, severe pain or weakness, worse than you'd expect from the workout.
• Feeling so weak or tired that you can't finish a workout or everyday tasks you could do before.
• Red or brown pee, or dark pee that looks like tea or cola.
• A high temperature as well as the muscle pain.
• Peeing a lot less than usual, feeling very thirsty, being sick, or feeling confused or sleepy.

Why it happens

NHS clinical guidance links it to exercise that is unaccustomed (too much, too fast, too hard or too soon) or done when fasting, dehydrated or ill. Symptoms may not start until hours or days after the exercise, so don't ignore them. If you take a statin such as atorvastatin, the NHS says to call 111 if you think you might be having serious side effects, which include muscle cramps, severe pain and weakness.

Aches and pain

Stop straight away if you feel any pain or become unwell, the NHS says, and contact 111 if your symptoms worry you or don't go away.

A dull ache in your muscles for a day or two after something new is normal. Joint pain that's sharp, gets worse during a set or lingers into the next day means switching to the easier option, and seeing a GP or physiotherapist if it carries on (our plans' rule). Our muscle soreness guide has more.

Back pain, and pain spreading down a leg

Call 999 or go to A&E: loss of feeling or numbness around the genitals or bottom, new trouble peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels, changes in genital sensation during sex or problems with erections or orgasm, or pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs. These are signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs treating in hospital urgently. Don't drive yourself.

Pain, tingling or numbness spreading below the knee that isn't settling after a few weeks, is getting worse or stops your normal activities: see a GP.

Numbness, tingling or weakness that travels down the leg from the back. That points to a nerve (sciatica) rather than the knee.

A lump in the groin

A lump in the groin, or groin pain with coughing or straining (a possible hernia).

Get help from NHS 111 if you have a hernia (a lump in the groin or tummy) and pain in or around it, a bloated tummy, you feel sick or are being sick, you're vomiting blood or your vomit looks like coffee grounds, you're constipated, you have a high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery, or you've suddenly become confused.

Call 999 or go to A&E now if you have a femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of the thigh, in the groin) and very bad tummy pain, you feel sick or are being sick, you cannot fart or poo, you have a high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery, or you've suddenly become confused. It may be strangulated, which is an emergency. Don't drive yourself.

If you feel faint after a hard effort

Lie down with your legs raised, or sit with your head lowered between your knees, and drink some water. Crossing your legs while standing, rocking up and down on your toes or clenching your fists can help. Call 999 if someone faints while exercising.

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for a headache that's triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing, bending down or exercising. In the US, contact your doctor or urgent care.

Check first

Speak to a GP first if you haven't exercised for some time, or if you have a medical condition or concerns. Get advice first, too, if you have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, have recently had a heart attack or an operation, or are pregnant or have recently given birth.

A heart condition

If you have a heart condition, follow your cardiac team's advice on how hard to work, and stop for the warning signs above. People with long-term conditions may wish to ask their specialist before starting. With uncontrolled high blood pressure, avoid straining against a held breath; the high blood pressure guide has more.

"You need to be fit to start hiking"Emerging evidence

Most of an easy trail is low-intensity walking, and previously inactive adults aged 55 to 75 got fitter on an 8-week hiking programme. Long, hard hikes are where training matters: not training went with more injuries on the Appalachian Trail.

Sources 1, 2, 20

"A heavy pack needs special training"Mixed evidence

For heavy loads, practising carrying them gave the biggest training effect in soldiers. For a day pack, we found no evidence that special training is needed. Build the pack up anyway, a little at a time.

Source 3

"Being fit protects you from altitude sickness"Strong evidence

Training made no difference in 827 mountaineers, or in smaller studies. A slow ascent is what protects you.

Sources 11, 32, 33, 34, 12

"You can't train for hills without hills"Emerging evidence

Stair climbing raised fitness in trials, and loaded walking improved carrying a load in soldiers.

Sources 4, 5, 3

"Walking downhill is the easy part"Emerging evidence

Knee loads are highest going down, and most hiking falls happen on descents.

Sources 6, 7, 23

"The safe pack limit is 20% of your body weight"Mixed evidence

No trial has set a limit. One lab study in women hikers suggested 30%, with changes in posture already at 20%.

Source 10

"Stretching before a hike prevents injuries"

We found no hiking study. In runners, stretching didn't prevent injuries, as our running guide sets out. Warm up with easy walking instead, and stretch afterwards if you like how it feels.