Is hiking cardio?

[PaleoRob]

I was talking with my wife about how I am trying to get in better shape by hiking more and doing sit ups, etc.
She said that those things basically don't matter - you have to do "cardio" on an elliptical machine to burn fat. I left it at that because I was on my way out the door to work, but I am curious for both facts and opinions: Does hiking help you lose weight and get in shape? Is it "cardio"?

[PaleoRob]

She is not as active as me, and because of arthritis she doesn't really attempt to be as active as I am. She does some hiking - but mainly flat and short stuff. We did the Hole House Ruin hike together, but I don't think she'd ever attempt the Spencer Trail or Ropes Trail. She keeps mentioning or insinuating that I need to lose my gut and get in better shape - but apparently my idea of hiking more isn't what she's looking for.
She has suggested that we both get back onto the Wii Fit more often, which I am not opposed to.

[CannondaleKid]

Before you answer remember this is a family friendly site, rated G ...

Hey... that's not what I wuz thinkin'

Besides, HAZ isn't rated G (for 'gutter'?)
Actually, it's PG-13... (Pretty Good??)
faq.php#f18r0

[CannondaleKid]

She is not as active as me, and because of arthritis she doesn't really attempt to be as active as I am.

I hear ya there. But for me, it was BECAUSE of my arthritis that I started hiking more. I found that if I didn't hike or at least walk reasonable distances on a regular basis, I could hardly walk when I got out of bed in the morning. So as my keeping limber, I hike as much as I can. As far as the pain, most of the time I can just zone it out and continue as though it wasn't there.

(After 7 years of migraines 2-3 time a week, I eventually gained an ability to zone out most pain. If I hadn't, I'm not sure I would have lasted the 7 years it took to find the root cause, ultimately arthritis in the neck and the muscle's response to that)

[fricknaley]

Anyone that wants to experience accelerated heart rate without moving a muscle just ride with FrickNaley through Tucson

I remember one such episode that was very

please, gentlemen, please...you have no grounds for such claims. now the eagle...well....that's a different story

[The_Eagle]

Anyone that wants to experience accelerated heart rate without moving a muscle just ride with FrickNaley through Tucson

I remember one such episode that was very

please, gentlemen, please...you have no grounds for such claims. now the eagle...well....that's a different story

Oh my Frick, Nickin, gosh. My life flashed in front of me at every 5 mph corner that he took at 50 mph.
I knew I was particularly lucky, when I made it safely around a corner, that Frick had just exclaimed "Oh"

[PaleoRob]

Well I think I'm going to try to increase my cardio and fitness by training for (and hopefully not dying on) the Huff to Bluff marathon in May...

[SuperstitionGuy]

Well I think I'm going to try to increase my cardio and fitness by training for (and hopefully not dying on) the Huff to Bluff marathon in May...

Rob, did you mean to type Huff to Puff?

[PaleoRob]

I'm sure that description will be more accurate!

[big_load]

Wow, May is awful soon. Good luck on your training; progress on that is the true reward, don't worry about the race.

[azhiker96]

My understanding was that any activity which lasted for at least 20 minutes and increased the heart rate was cardio. With that in mind, I think most activities are better if they are done cardio. ;)

Keeping on the clean side, a walk up Siphon Draw trail is cardio for most people. However, I've noticed that hikes may or may not be cardio depending on the person. When I hike with my dear wife, my HR doesn't change. If I want to increase my pulse, I need to go a wee bit faster or take a tougher trail. The old axiom is true, hike your own hike.

[maxpower]

My understanding was that any activity which lasted for at least 20 minutes and increased the heart rate was cardio. With that in mind, I think most activities are better if they are done cardio. ;)

Just wait until you get older. The mind is willing but the equipment is less cooperative. That's OK though....you just turn it into anaerobic wind sprints instead.

[wallyfrack]

I went in for an outpatient procedure yesterday. I walked 2 miles (at 5a) to get there because they won't let you drive home. :roll:
They put me on the heart monitor and before any drugs my resting heart rate was 51 - 55. It dropped to 48 once and any time
it hit 50 or below the alarm would go off. The nurse came over and shut it off. I must be getting cardio somewhere. :wlift:

I found this chart online. I'm not sure how accurate it is. I know some athletes have 40bpm.

Normal Resting Heart Rate for Men (bpm)
AGE | Athlete| Very Fit | Good | Above | Ave | Unfit | Poor
18-25 | 49-55 | 56-61 | 62-65 | 66-69 | 70-73 | 74-81 | 82+
26-35 | 49-54 | 55-61 | 62-65 | 66-70 | 71-74 | 75-81 | 82+
36-45 | 50-56 | 57-62 | 63-66 | 67-70 | 71-75 | 76-82 | 83+
46-55 | 50-57 | 58-63 | 64-67 | 68-71 | 72-76 | 77-83 | 84+
56-65 | 51-56 | 57-61 | 62-67 | 68-71 | 72-75 | 76-81 | 82+
65+up | 50-55 | 56-61 | 62-65 | 66-69 | 70-73 | 74-79 | 80+


Normal Resting Heart Rate for Women (bpm)
AGE | Athlete| Very Fit| Good | Above| Ave | Unfit | Poor
18-25 | 54-60 | 61-65 | 66-69 | 70-73 | 74-78 | 79-84 | 85+
26-35 | 54-59 | 60-64 | 65-68 | 69-72 | 73-76 | 77-82 | 83+
36-45 | 54-59 | 60-64 | 65-69 | 70-73 | 74-78 | 79-84 | 85+
46-55 | 54-60 | 61-65 | 66-69 | 70-73 | 74-77 | 78-83 | 84+
56-65 | 54-59 | 60-64 | 65-68 | 69-73 | 74-77 | 78-83 | 84+
65+up | 54-59 | 60-64 | 65-68 | 69-72 | 73-76 | 77-84 | 84+

[DarthStiller]

I've been checking my blood pressure regularly for the last year and my average bpm's are right between "athlete" and "very fit"

[kevinweitzel75]

61 BPM at 36 years old. Not too shabby.

[paulhubbard]

53 years old and 64-66 BPM. Not bad for an old guy...

[azbackpackr]

58 years old. Pulse of 62. I am WAY out of shape right now, too, since I have no time for exercise until May 18.

[imike]

If you want to gauge your current cardio conditioning, look to your 60 second recovery rate... work up to a nice higher rate, then pause, and once the rate begins to drop time 60 seconds and check it again. A differential of 40 beats is excellent... really conditioned athletes might drop the 40 beats in 20 seconds. If you do not hit that 40 beat drop... might want to work a bit harder and more consisently at whatever you're doing for training...

[CannondaleKid]

Feeling I'd lost some conditioning (along with adding a few pounds), not having hiked since January due to knee issues I was very pleasantly surprised at 56 BPM... and I'll be 61 in just over a week.

[nonot]

Kudos to you guys with your low heart rates. Since I've been about 10 my resting heart rate has always been about 80-86 bpm whenever I measured it, even when I used to run track and had a decent mile time. Just checked it again - about 84.

As far as I know I'm not way unhealthy....shrug.

I think I might pass imikes test as far as recovery goes, but I'd have to get it up pretty high to start with since my resting is so high.

[nikorock28]

Took my pulse with a hand held blood pressure monitor and I was pleasantly surprised to get 48, 45 and 46 on the three trials. I guess the steeper hikes that I do for "cardio" is, in fact, cardio.