Everyone had a rough start because you can’t be born as a perfect hiker. Most of our progress is based on our experience and effort, and not that we are tall, or strong in general. Being tall and strong can be a positive asset of yours but without those, you can be even better than people who have those assets, so don’t worry about it. If you are thinking that you are slow during hikes and fall behind others then let us help you.
Being slow during hikes is a totally normal and common thing, but in every single case there is a reason for you being slower than the others, and for that, we have this article for you to let you understand your weaknesses and overcome them at some point which will let you become a great hiker someday!
Why am I slower than the others?
There is always a reason for that, but some are more complicated than others, so let’s find out together what can be the cause of you being slow. The most common reasons for your slow pace at hiking:
- Overweight – Some people are over their healthy limit of total weight. Additional weight will slow you down when walking upwards, but for that, we have created a great article “Can Overweight Person Hike? – (Is It Safe?)“.
- Inexperienced – If you don’t have enough experience then things like inhaling or exhaling will be crucial in terms of your pace, so learning the basics like those two and for example, moving legs in the proper way will give you a huge speed bonus.
- Too skinny – Being too skinny have some advantages like less weight to carry, but sometimes skinny people will lose some time on additional care to not endanger themselves too much, but more on that here “Is Hiking Good For A Skinny Person? – (Is It Safe?)“.
- Cheap equipment – A lot of hikers start with things what can they find in their wardrobe, but proper equipment like trekking shoes or trekking poles can make your moves a lot faster, and for that, we have an article about “Is Hiking Expensive? – (How Much Do I Need To Start?)“.
- Low stamina – Your body can be in a good shape but if you have sat for a full month in your cozy home office then things like hiking a few miles will be very challenging, but on your stamina, we will focus on the next paragraph.
What can I do to become faster at hiking?
Stamina is not an imaginary thing, and can not be built in a week as many tend to say. It is a very long process, but after that, you will start to enjoy the benefits that it gives you. If you can do something about those problems that we have mentioned before then you should first focus on those.
Being fast is strictly related to your stamina because if you think about it you can walk faster, but that will quickly make you run out of steam. That’s why the proper balance between your speed and stamina is a solution to walking long distances.
If you will have more stamina then you will be able to walk faster. Things like jogging, running, or even walking in your free time can make you more durable and increase your level of stamina. Those are only the basics, but there is not a shortcut here to get stamina quickly, you just need to do cardio training more often.
If you want to know more about jogging, and running which we highly recommend you can read our article where we get into more details about this topic “Can Hiking Replace Running? – (7 Tips To Increase Stamina)“.
In Conclusion – Why am I so slow during hikes?
You don’t need to be sad about it, because that problem is very common and the solution for that in most cases is normal cardio training, but also getting rid of those things that we have mentioned above. We hope that we have enlightened you on the problem, and now with our advice, you know what to do to speed up your normal pace.
If you are angry that people are walking ahead of you on your hiking trip then make sure to check out this article about “Is It Ok To Walk Ahead Of Someone On A Hike? – (Am I Rude?)“.
