Resting & Hiking Rest Intervals

Resting & Hiking Rest Intervals We already discussed Hiking Rhythm and Walking & Hiking Speed and they largely determine how many breaks your body will demand when you are out hiking. Having a steady rhythm in your hiking and resting periods will help you get through a day of heavy hiking. In this section, we will take a look at some guidelines when it comes to resting:

* The purpose of resting is to slow down your heart rate and breathing and rest your hearts and lungs. In addition, Resting gives your body the time to get rid of the lactic acids built up in your muscles and to recover from the strains and possible pressure sores.
* Try to rest in regular intervals and make them part of your walking rhythm. Rest for 10 minutes after every one hour of hiking.
* Try to stick to short 10-minute breaks and only use your lunch break and possibly your dinner break as extended rest periods. A ten-minute interval is the most effective rest duration when it comes to body recovery.
* Set a stopwatch if you fear that there is a chance of breaking the 10-minute limit. It is very easy to doze off even in 10 minutes.
* Make sure to take off your backpack and try to relax your body and mind as quickly as possible. Get out of the sun and generally try to rest in a cool and shady location. You can use your backpack as a back support for sitting down.
* In longer lunch and dinner breaks, you will want to give your feet a rest by removing your shoes and putting on slippers or sandals. If conditions allow it, you may want to walk bare foot. That will help prevent the occurrence of Blisters. Longer rest periods are also a great opportunity to dry possibly wet clothes and check your equipment.

Resting is an integral part of Hiking. Taking time to rest at regular intervals will help you in optimizing your performance. Take note of your Hiking Rhythm and Hiking Speed so you will know the number of times you need to take a rest.

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