Uphill Achievements

Hills are your friend, especially if your goal is to strengthen your lower body—and you’ll burn an extra 3-5 calories per minute over walking on level surfaces.

Walking uphill uses the muscles in the front of your thigh, calf and in your buttocks. It increases the challenge for slower walkers and enables more fitter walkers to achieve a higher heart rate.

However, pace yourself to keep your exertion at an intensity where you can still speak in sentences rather than just gasping out single words. If you live in an area without hills, consider using a treadmill or stairs to simulate uphill walking or running.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Warm up. Going uphill is extra stress on your muscles. It’s best to plan on warming up with a walk on the level for 5 minutes before you tackle a steep hill.
• Shorten your steps. Use quicker steps on a hill if you want to maintain your pace.
• Avoid leaning. It’s natural to lean into the hill a bit. However, try to keep that lean to a minimum, keeping your torso over your hips. If you lean too far forward or backward, you put yourself off balance and place extra stress on the small muscles of your lower back.
• Walking on an incline (outdoors or on a treadmill) is generally not recommended for those with low back or knee problems. Consult with a physiotherapist or medical advisor.