Hiking has never been more popular. While bushwalking has always been a favourite pastime for many people, we’re now seeing it become increasingly popular among younger adults as well. From weekend walks through local national parks to multi-day treks and overseas hiking adventures, more people are discovering the physical and mental health benefits of spending time on the trails.
As a Clinical Exercise Physiologist (AEP), I’ve worked with many people preparing for hiking trips. While improving your fitness is important, one aspect that’s often overlooked is injury prevention. Many hiking injuries can be significantly reduced by preparing your body with the right strength exercises before you hit the trails.
Hiking Fitness Isn’t Just About Walking
A common misconception is that the best way to prepare for hiking is simply to hike more. While regular walks and shorter hikes are excellent for building cardiovascular fitness and getting used to uneven terrain, they’re only part of the equation.
Hiking places repeated stress on your ankles, knees, hips and lower back, especially when carrying a backpack or walking downhill for extended periods. If these muscles and joints aren’t prepared for those demands, you’re more likely to experience pain or injury.
A balanced hiking program should include both:
- Regular walking or hiking to improve cardiovascular fitness.
- Targeted strength training to improve joint stability, muscular endurance and resilience.
The Most Common Hiking Injuries
The two issues I see most frequently in people preparing for hiking are:
Ankle injuries
Uneven trails, rocks, tree roots and loose surfaces all challenge your balance and ankle stability. Without adequate strength and control, sprains become much more likely. If you’ve rolled your ankle before, our ankle physiotherapy team can help restore the strength and control needed for the trail.
Patellofemoral Pain (Runner’s Knee)
Pain around the front of the kneecap is extremely common, particularly during long descents. Weakness through the glutes and quadriceps can increase stress on the knee, making downhill sections particularly uncomfortable. Persistent symptoms are best assessed through knee physiotherapy.
The good news is that both of these problems are often preventable with appropriate training.
The Best Exercises for Prevention of These Injuries
1. Calf Raises
Strong calves provide support for the ankle and improve your ability to walk confidently over uneven ground.
Progress from double-leg calf raises to single-leg calf raises, eventually adding weight as your strength improves.
2. Step-Ups
Step-ups closely mimic climbing hills and stepping onto rocks or stairs during a hike.
They develop strength through the quadriceps and glutes while also improving balance and single-leg control.
3. Split Squats or Reverse Lunges
These exercises build lower limb strength while challenging stability on one leg—an essential component of hiking.
They also help improve knee control, particularly for people prone to anterior knee pain.
4. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
This exercise strengthens the glutes and hamstrings while improving balance and hip stability.
Strong hips play an important role in controlling knee alignment during long walks and downhill sections.
5. Controlled Step-Downs
If I could recommend one exercise that many hiking programs miss, it would be controlled step-downs.
Walking downhill places considerably greater force through the knees than walking uphill. Training this movement prepares your muscles to absorb those forces more efficiently and can significantly reduce discomfort during descents.
Don’t Forget Your Lower Back and Core
While ankle injuries and knee pain are among the most common issues hikers experience, lower back discomfort is another frequent complaint—particularly during longer hikes or when carrying a backpack. If back pain is already limiting your walks, our back physiotherapy team can help identify the cause.
Carrying extra weight changes the demands placed on your body. Your core muscles, hips and lower back all work together to stabilise your trunk and maintain good posture over uneven terrain. If these muscles fatigue, it’s common to notice aching or stiffness through the lower back, especially towards the end of a hike.
The good news is that a stronger core doesn’t mean endless sit-ups. Instead, focus on exercises that improve your body’s ability to stabilise the spine while you move.
Some of the best core exercises for hikers include:
- Farmer’s carries – Build core endurance, improve posture and prepare your body for carrying a loaded backpack.
- Bird dogs – Develop trunk stability while strengthening the muscles that support the spine.
- Dead bugs – Improve deep core control and coordination while keeping the lower back stable.
- Front and side planks – Build endurance through the abdominal muscles and help maintain posture during long hikes.
- Pallof press – Strengthen the core’s ability to resist rotation, improving stability when walking over uneven ground or carrying an uneven load.
When combined with lower-limb strength training, these exercises help build the stability needed to carry a backpack comfortably and reduce the likelihood of lower back fatigue on longer hikes. A strong core doesn’t just protect your back, it improves the efficiency of every step you take.
Don’t Forget Single-Leg Training
Walking is essentially a series of single-leg movements.
Exercises that improve single-leg strength and balance help your body cope with uneven terrain and unexpected changes in footing, while also reducing the likelihood of ankle sprains.
Including single-leg exercises in your program can make a noticeable difference in both confidence and stability on the trail.
A Real Client Success Story
An older client came to the clinic before a hiking holiday in New Zealand. Their goal was simple—to complete several challenging bushwalks without pain or injury.
Rather than focusing solely on walking, we implemented a structured program that combined lower-limb strengthening, balance exercises, single-leg stability work and progressive hiking preparation.
They completed every planned hike without injury or significant pain, allowing them to enjoy their holiday with confidence. This highlights the value of preparing your body before an adventure, rather than waiting until pain develops.
Training Recommendations for Different Hikers
Beginners
Focus on gradually improving cardiovascular fitness through regular walking while introducing basic strength exercises two to three times per week. Building muscular endurance early provides a solid foundation for future hikes.
More Experienced Hikers
As hiking distances and terrain become more demanding, strength training becomes increasingly important. Dynamic lower-limb exercises, downhill preparation and progressive resistance training help improve performance while reducing injury risk.
Older Adults
Age shouldn’t stop you from enjoying hiking. In fact, maintaining lower-limb strength, balance and stability becomes even more important as we get older. With an appropriately tailored program, including falls prevention work where needed, many older hikers can safely complete challenging bushwalks and multi-day treks.
Final Thoughts
The best hikers aren’t necessarily the ones with the greatest cardiovascular fitness—they’re the ones whose bodies are prepared for the physical demands of the trail.
Regular hikes will improve your fitness, but combining them with targeted strength training is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of ankle injuries, minimise knee pain and build confidence on uneven terrain.
Whether you’re preparing for your first overnight hike or your next overseas adventure, investing a little time in injury prevention now can help you spend more time enjoying the trail and less time dealing with setbacks later.
If you’d like a hiking preparation program tailored to your goals, the team at Hills Street Sports Medicine is here to help. Contact us today to book your first session.
