Training for trekking: why you should pair technology and physical exercise for the best outdoor experience

Trekking and hiking are among two of the favourite outdoor activities by people of any age and physical background. To immerse oneself completely in nature, along the path of a forest, to relieve the tensions accumulated studying or at work.

Trekking weekends to walk in the open air (as well as walking trips and itineraries or quasi-hermitic tours to relive tensions) are increasingly sought-after. Outdoor enthusiasts decide to walk for want to live in close contact with nature, far from the smog, noise and chaos of the city.

What is the difference between trekking and hiking?

The passion for walking and climbing up the mountains - real outdoor practices that wink at outdoor sports (in any case, in fact, there is a need for targeted training and preparation) - does not mean having to give up the support of technology, regardless of the difficulty of the walk. In such difficulty lies the main distinction between trekking and hiking.

Trekking is in fact a real excursion that may take several days and requires survival and first aid equipment, as well as a remarkable athletic preparation. On the contrary, hiking is a practice that involves walking in nature for several hours, though along easy to walk beaten hiking trails, and it usually doesn’t require more than a day.

Both activities include sub-genres, depending on the type of hiking trail chosen. Nonetheless, regardless of the trail chosen, you need to take a series of precautions to make safe excursions. Wherever they lead the desire for outdoor and adventure, in fact, the tranquillity of departure, arrival and return is a basic aspect. So, in addition to the enthusiasm stemming from the beautiful landscapes and outdoor adventures, for a safe excursion two aspects are essential: a solid physical preparation, achieved with specific training for trekking, and hi-tech devices and gadgets for the mountain.

Training for trekking

At the cost of stating the obvious, the basis for good training for trekking and hiking training is walking. If walking in the open air more often undoubtedly helps, to really achieve the ideal form for hiking you need to learn to walk well.

To walk well, especially on the rough terrain of hiking trails, you need to have good physical strength, endurance, mobility and proprioception. To get this kind of training for trekking, indoor training is the best solution, especially in the autumn and winter months, when the weather and climate do not allow outdoor training.

SKILLRUN's BIOFEEDBACK technology allows you to learn which running and walking variables need to be controlled and improved, through the real-time feedback of running variables such as cadence and time of contact with the ground. This feature is extremely useful for training for trekking and hiking, when associated with inclinations that replicate mountain routes.

Besides, with the routes contained in Unity, you can start interactive outdoor routes, giving you the impression of running and walking in some of the most exclusive outdoor locations in the world. This feature is also present in our Run Personal, the treadmill designed by Antonio Citterio and handbuilt with top quality materials for the best home training experience.

Yet, trekking and hiking are not based exclusively on a treadmill training. In fact, in these two outdoor practices, height differences, changes of terrain and the presence of obstacles are the rule rather than the exception. To train for these changes of inclination of the plane, exercises such as lunges or squats are essential.

To work out with lunges, squats and other functional movements with an incremental level of resistance, Technogym proposes the Kinesis line. Kinesis allows you to perform more than 200 different exercises with 20 levels of resistance. Characteristic of most of the exercises that can be performed on Kinesis, is that of involving the fundamental stabilizing muscles of the trunk (or core muscles) in functional training.

Trekking and technology

Smartwatch with integrated GPS: that is the most iconic tech trend in outdoor activities. Among the technological gadgets for the mountain is inevitable, well tightened on the wrist, the smartwatch for trekking - but no exception hiking - can provide a variety of data: from location to altitude to atmospheric pressure.

In addition to GPS detection, outdoor smartwatches (with displays that can be read in bright sunlight or in shady areas) are equipped with altimeters, compasses and barometers. Not to mention the navigation and auto-routing function, which allows the programming of the paths and routes to be followed.

From the device that "transforms" the smartphone into a transceiver capable of operating on FM frequencies, sending messages within hundreds of meters (to indicate its position) to the cover with universal adapter - plus satellite sim card, removable antenna, battery and connectors - that declines the smartphone into a satellite phone. So, in case of emergency this complementary device can be used to ask for help (it is equipped with an SOS key that automatically sends, to a pre-set number, SMS, e-mail or call with coordinates).

Trekking apps

Thinking about preparing a mountain hike or an outdoor experience and leaving your smartphone at home? Better not. Having one or more trekking and hiking apps equipped with an outdoor GPS navigator on your device can be of great help. Especially in critical moments. Applications dedicated to physical activity also for outdoor uses, such as mywellness app, for iOS and Android users, allow you to track a route on an online map obtaining, by reference, a series of statistics.

From distance to duration, from speed to time spent on the move. There is also the opportunity to save the routes made during the trips and then share them on social networks, perhaps within a community of passionate hikers.

The technology for excursions passes through free apps (often with some paid features) that allow the trekker and the hiker to choose from many maps of routes to be covered, in Italy and abroad, available online and downloadable for offline use. Furthermore, applications with functions to locate your location (including through a photo), track movements and - above all - send alarm signals and geographical coordinates to rescue stations are becoming more and more popular. To guarantee maximum security.

New trekking hardware technologies for an enhanced outdoor experience

The technology for outdoor activities, among its innovative proposals, hi-tech binoculars. A tool that, in addition to allowing you to admire the landscape while enjoying unique details, allows you to take photographs in high resolution.

Digital binoculars also provide the opportunity to record audio and video in Full HD 3D. An inseparable companion of adventures, as well as the backpack for hiking and trekking characterized with a built-in solar-powered power bank. With built-in USB ports to always keep your tech gadgets and smartphone charged.