Avoid the dreaded "spring knee" by giving your joints some attention before the trails melt out.

You don't need to be in peak form to start a long trail—but there are some caveats.

Both tight and lengthened hip flexors could be limiting your mobility and making your hikes miserable. Here’s how to fix it.

Cuboid syndrome can plague hikers. Here's how to recognize, treat, and prevent it.

Muscular imbalances are a common cause of joint pain—and we all have them. Here’s how to ferret out weak muscles and strengthen them before hiking season.

Nothing's as good as the real thing, but if you're stuck inside this winter, these treadmill workouts will keep you trail-fit all the same.

Don’t fall victim to the holiday hibernation: With these simple, outdoor-specific exercises, you can keep or improve your trail fitness for spring.

Plantar fasciitis is extremely common, and yet experts don’t always agree on how to treat it. Here’s how to sort fact from fiction.

Dr. Morgan Brosnihan has helped thousands of backpackers on the PCT. Here's how she recommends staying injury free mile after mile.

Will your next hike take you high? Practicing how you breathe—yes, you heard that right—could help you stay strong.

Here's the best way to spill-proof yourself and, if you do take a tumble, minimize injury. 

Even the longest hikes are too short to spend worrying about how you look.

In our opinion, sugar can be a hiker health food. Pair it with your electrolytes for better hydration and performance.

If summertime outdoor workouts have you melting by the time you've completed your warm up, you need these indoor alternatives.

Don't waste the late spring and summer warm-up hiking yourself into shape (or rehabbing a fresh injury). Instead, prep for some of the best months of the year with these expert-approved workouts.

This awkwardly shaped hunk of iron is your key to building stability, power, coordination, and an indestructible core.

Find your footing—both on and off the trail—with the help of these expert postpartum tips and exercises.

Here’s how to train your muscles and your mental game for some of backpacking’s biggest cruxes.

Prevent injuries and move more efficiently on the trail with this simple, hiker-friendly Pilates sequence.

Training can get you far, but these techniques will make you a better hiker without hitting the gym.

By working on your cardiovascular endurance you can up your mileage without hating your life.

Strong legs make for easy miles. Get yours ready for your next big trip with this advice.

You only need three pieces of gear to prep your muscles for peaks.

This kind of overuse injury can present itself in many ways. Steer clear of injury with these tips.

Strength training is critical for hikers. And most of us are doing it wrong.

If you focus on recovery and stay patient, you can be back on the trail with a fully repaired ACL in a matter of months.

If the rising temperatures have you clamoring to stay inside until fall, you can adapt your body with these techniques thrive on the trail.

Use this series of ankle, calf, quad, and core exercises to keep track of your training, and you'll have trail-proof muscles in a matter of weeks.

If that first hike of the season had your legs crying for mercy, give these workouts a go.

Acclimatizing to high altitude before a hike is rough, but you can make it easier on yourself.

You're excited to hit the trail and crush lots of miles as soon as possible. But should you?

Just because the saying rhymes doesn't mean it's necessarily true (or good for you). It's time to bust these fitness myths.

There are 21 muscles that cross the hip joint, and every one helps you hike effectively—as long as you take care of them.

If you're dreading the impending frosty temps, now's the time to teach your body how to handle it through deliberate cold exposure.

Raynaud's Phenomenon stings (literally). Here's how to manage the condition so you can hike comfortably all winter long.

Think you only need to strengthen glutes and quads to be a better hiker? Think again.

It doesn't matter if you're hypermobile or move within the normal range of motion. After these exercises, everyone will feel more stable in their body.

Use this series of squats, leg bridges, planks, and calf raises to keep track of your training and you'll have trail-proof full-body strength in no time.

When soreness crosses over into genuine pain, it can turn the most pleasant hikes into teeth-gritting tests of endurance. Fight back with expert advice and exercises for tackling 8 different types of ache.

They don’t necessarily save energy, but a new study suggests they might save your legs

Fine-tune your muscle imbalances with this workout finisher series from physical therapist assistant and personal trainer Lee Welton.

A heavy pack and poor posture while hiking can lead to a creaky neck, but you don't have to suffer through it.

Creaky joints? Learn how to strengthen your knees with these supine leg lifts, best performed with 3- to 5-pound ankle weights.

Ramp up your speed for hiking, trail running, and reaching the views faster with this all-in-one cardio and stabilizing workout.

Mental toughness is more than just pushing through pain to reach the summit. It’s also about learning to walk the tightrope between confidence and humility.

Your big adventures are right around the corner. Is your cardiovascular strength up to snuff?

Erratic, joy-filled exercise could make you a fitter—and happier—athlete.

Are you in good shape but still struggling with steep hikes? The culprit could be how you're breathing.

Record-setting thru-hiker Jeff Garmire suffered for years before discovering he had exercise-induced asthma—but the struggle taught him a thing or two about sticking with it.

Does your back feel beaten-up after a long day toting a pack? These simple tactics from trainer and guide Jason Antin can help fight the pain.

Learn how to battle the aches and pains of hiking with an expert's tips for staying healthy.

A slow walk through the woods has psychological and physiological benefits—and it could teach you a few things about hiking, too.

Yes, there's a better way to put one foot in front of the other. Improve your stride, trek farther, and end leg and back pain with our guide to the new science of healthy hiking.

Want to ensure a fun, productive, and injury-free spring? Try these drills, which you may already know from your high-school sports days.

Hiking is hard, but it shouldn’t be painful. Focus on the fun by achieving all-around fitness and preventing common aches.

Prepare your mind and body ready to fend for yourself in the backcountry.

Here’s how to prep your body for linking big days.

You don't need to white-knuckle your way through your dream high-altitude trip. Here's how you can feel your best.

Stop picking between your fitness and your free time. These aerobic conditioning workouts are just as effective and take less than an hour.

Feeling achy and serotonin-depleted after a couple months on the trail? This gym workout will help you out.

Do these exercises regularly to widen your range of motion to feel your best on the trail and avoid injuries.

You don't have to spend hours and hours on the trail to get prepared for your next big hike. It's more efficient to train with a loaded pack.

Check out Lee Welton's author page.

If your feet ever become numb while hiking, don't worry. This common hiking ailment has a few potential causes and easy fixes.

Hiking big miles every day can make your legs tired and crispy. Not if you've prepared. Here's how to develop invincible trail legs.

No, you don't have to hang up your pack for good. Recovery is possible, but here's what you have to prioritize before hitting the trails.

Kickstarting a workout habit starts with reexamining your motivations.

From weight changes to growing feet, hiking 2,000 miles can have a big impact on you physically.

Those familiar aches that arise from hauling a heavy pack can force you into bad posture and take all the fun out of hiking. Fight load fatigue by strengthening the muscles that surround your spine, hips, and shoulders

Feeling calf pain with every step? Take these measures so you can crush hills without crushing your calves.

You don't need a gym—or to quit your job and become a hiking bum—to get trail-ready. From boosting your cardiovascular fitness to building up the muscles you need to tackle the mountains, this is your guide to mastering hiking fitness.

Squats and step-ups aren't targeting your entire gluteus. These three exercises are your key to complete glute strength.

Fend off aches and pains with these hiker-specific exercises.

Check out BACKPACKER Editors & Contributors's author page.

Go further, ride better, and have more fun by using science to optimize your cold-weather fueling strategy.

All you need is a pair of dumbbells to prepare your quads, glutes, hamstrings, back, shoulders, and core for ski touring this winter.

Whether you want to hike 25 miles in a day or simply focus on the scenery and not your sore legs, getting fit before you hit the trail will improve your every step. We asked the pros how to get healthy—and stay that way.

All calories are not created equal. Learn the right way to fuel your big-mile ambitions.