Walking Uphill: Advantages and Disadvantages

If you love nature, you must have tried hill walking. It can leave you a little breathless, but it is a good workout. It is similar to using a treadmill at home or at the gym. You can use the exercise equipment to walk or run. Whether it is a hill or a treadmill, you can try hill walking for weight loss. While walking on flat ground is great, add an incline and see how challenging it becomes! Read on to know how to start hill walking for weight loss.

What is hill walking?

Incline walking involves walking up an incline, whether it’s natural terrain or an adjustable setting on a treadmill. Unlike walking on a flat surface, incline walking requires people to work against gravity, essentially providing resistance training along with cardiovascular exercise, says fitness instructor Juily Wagle. Identifying inclines goes beyond obvious grades. It includes any incline, whether it’s a gentle hill, a flight of stairs, or even a steep driveway. Each elevation introduces different degrees of difficulty, requiring flexibility and engagement from different muscle groups.

This isn’t your average walk in the park. It’s a full-body workout disguised as a gentle hike. Hill walking isn’t just about reaching the top. It’s about challenging yourself against the incline, pushing yourself beyond your limits, and sculpting a stronger, fitter you, says Rajat Goel, a transformation and nutrition coach.

Walking uphill to lose weight

A 2012 study published in the Journal of Biomechanics showed that participants’ metabolic cost increased by 17 percent at a 5 percent incline and 32 percent at a 10 percent incline compared to flat terrain.

Walking uphill helps you lose weight by intensifying your workout, Goel says. Imagine you’re used to lifting a 10-pound dumbbell, but then you switch to a 20-pound dumbbell because the 10 pounds aren’t challenging your muscles anymore. Likewise, a hill adds resistance, making your body work harder. This increases calorie burn and engages more muscles, especially in your lower body and core. While the exact number of calories burned depends on factors like speed, weight, and duration, walking uphill generally burns more calories than walking on a flat surface, potentially aiding your weight-loss efforts.

You may also like

What are the health benefits of walking uphill?

Walking uphill engages your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and core. As you climb a steep hill, your quads power each step, your glutes stabilize your hips, and your core maintains alignment and posture. Because so many muscles are involved, its health benefits are numerous.

• It increases endurance by challenging your cardiovascular system more than walking on a flat surface, which makes your heart and lungs work harder. This increased effort increases your endurance, allowing you to do physical activities for longer without feeling tired, says Goel.
• Walking uphill strengthens your back muscles, including those in your lower back and glutes. This increased muscle strength can make walking and other daily activities easier, as your body becomes better able to handle the physical strain.
• Its gentle impact on the joints makes hill walking accessible even to people with joint problems, while still providing significant fitness gains, says Wagle.
• By engaging your core muscles to maintain balance and stability, incline walking strengthens your core, promoting better posture and overall strength.

What are the disadvantages of walking uphill?

Generally, walking uphill does not present any particular disadvantages, but some conditions may limit its suitability.

• If you have lower back problems or lack strength and endurance, you may find this exercise challenging.
• Walking uphill increases your heart rate and requires more oxygen, which can be tiring if your body is not used to the activity.
• For beginners or those with joint problems, the intensity of uphill walking can be a challenge.

You can start with gentle inclines and gradually increase the intensity. Focus on building strength and mobility before tackling steeper inclines to avoid overexertion, Wagle suggests.

How to get started?

To get started with hill walking, it’s essential to prioritize staying in your comfort zone. Consider your abilities and environment before committing to any exercise, Goel says.

• Start with a few minutes of walking on a flat surface to warm up your body.
• You can then go for brisk walks on flat surfaces.
• Gradually progress to walking uphill using a treadmill or climbing a hill to avoid sudden strain or injury.

By starting slowly and listening to your body, you can safely increase the intensity of your hill walking and reap the benefits.