Nothing can make me feel more alive than a good hike. There’s something to be said about being high up in the mountains, with the wind blowing in your face and trees swaying in the breeze. It brings me peace and more energy to start the next day.

What’s more, we can efficiently lose weight while hiking. It’s actually one of the best forms of cardio out there. While enjoying the wonderful scenery, the heart picks up pace, sweat dribbles down your neck and you can hear yourself breathing heavily to the accompaniment of birds chirping merrily. All the while burning those extra calories from the chocolate chip muffins that was so irresistible. For which, one cannot be blamed.

Between hiking a trail and using a gym treadmill or running around the city, it’s a no brainer. I’m lucky to be living in a city that’s just a 30-minute drive from the mountains. Not everyone has access like I do, though. I still say, move your body wherever you can, whenever you can. But if you can go to the mountains, do that! A long drive over the weekend is definitely worth it. So I’ve listed some ways we girls (and boys) can employ to get the most fat burning out of a weekend hike.

Run uphill

I’ll plunge into my best advice right away. Increase your speed. Trail running is very popular nowadays. Not all of us is ready for that, admittedly. I don’t think I’m ready for it most days. Hahaha! But simply adding to your speed whenever you can while hiking uphill will go a long way. It’s one of the easiest ways to burn more calories. Start small and gradually build up endurance. You can do running and walking at intervals. Say, a minute running, then two minutes walking.

Take the downhill slowly

Not only will this be kinder to your knees but you will better engage less frequently use muscles for decelerating. I know it’s easy to just run with gravity when descending. Don’t take the easy way! You’ll be activating more muscles and getting a good workout out of it. So maintain a slower pace when hiking downhill.

Choose a steeper terrain and bring a heavier backpack

Hiking higher means more calories torched. Adding more weight to your pack does the same thing. The simple rule is that the more work you put in, the more fats you burn. Choose the more vertical climb and bring more water with you. This will also ensure that you’ll be well-hydrated during the hike.