10 tips for starting hiking

The Nijmegen 4-day starts next Tuesday. It is the most famous walking event in the Netherlands, but it is immediately very tough: so many days, so many kilometers… Not yet walking, but are you inspired by that 4-day? With these 10 tips you can easily start walking.

1. Find beautiful places

Maybe you haven’t lived in your new home that long, or maybe you just know that there are great nature reserves nearby: look them up. Get on your bike after work to go to a nature reserve or maybe even the beach. That is generally much nicer to walk than a busy city or your own neighborhood in which everyone tells you a story. Take a breather with some green (or sand) around you: wonderful. You’ll probably come back feeling rejuvenated, ready for the rest of the day.

2. Use the Ommetje app

Ommetje is a nice app because it rewards you for what you do. If you go outside to walk for half an hour without the app, it is still healthy, but the Ommetje app gives you more context on what you do and what is so good about it, partly based on facts from Erik Scherder. is. Moreover, it is nice to record your walks, although the app is not always the best technically.

3. Put on a pedometer

Whether you have an expensive smartwatch or a fairly cheap Mi-band, or a mid-range Fitbit, if you put on a pedometer, you know even more specifically how far you’ve walked and you can compete with yourself to get every step. walk a little further. It is said that 10,000 steps a day is best, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself at first. Build it up, do it at your pace: those 10,000 steps will eventually come.

4. Bring water

Whether you get lost or know exactly where you’re going: it’s always good to take water with you. You can have a nice drink while walking: you do have your hands free, and especially when it is warm and you also sweat a bit (after all, you move a lot), then you can probably use a refill. Water is a healthy habit, walking is a healthy habit, and thanks to the water you can freshen up and maybe you can go on a little longer.

5. Remember good shoes

Many hikers use those mountainous hiking shoes, but if you enjoy walking on a sturdy sneaker or maybe even running shoes: wear them nicely. Listen to your body, make sure you wear shoes that offer some support and invest in a new pair if necessary.

6. Consider walking wool

It sounds very strange, but it really exists: walking wool. This is sheep’s wool that you can put between your toes to make sure you don’t get chafing. After all, friction means blisters and that can throw your entire hiking adventure into the water. Of course taping is also possible, or afterwards you can use a second skin-like blister plaster, but often walking wool is already very effective and you can naturally avoid having to stop walking while you have just started.

7. Listen to a podcast

Would you like to listen to music while walking: do it nicely, but for many people it works well to follow a podcast and listen to it every week during the walk. That way you will associate listening and walking with each other and you will feel extra excited to go out. When the episode is over, walk in without earplugs and enjoy the sounds and your own thoughts.

8. Use the Stepler app for rewards

We wrote about it earlier: the Stepler app is an app that rewards you for your steps. If you are doing well with walking and exercise, you will get something in return. It takes a while before you’ve walked together: but for the same money you have no reward at all. You can still get some discounts at certain stores or even free audio books. It’s worth a try: you have little to lose, although we do advise you to check carefully what the app wants to know from you and whether you’re okay with that.

9. Take a picture every walk

For example, if you use an app like Strava to record your walk, there should be the option to post your own photo and share your walk on social media. Even without an app like Strava, it’s worth taking a photo every walk. Sometimes a butt of a coot that has just dived under, then a lot of branches on the road because there has been a huge storm, or every time a selfie in your hiking outfit: it’s fun to keep a diary of your walks . Whether you share them on your social media or not: it is also a good ritual for yourself to keep walking.

10. Go geocaching

If you’re not familiar with the geocaching world, you probably think this is a joke, but geocaching people are people who hide all sorts of games or simply guest books from each other (often in nature), where you walk based on coordinates and GPS that can find ‘treasures’. It’s great fun and it can inspire you to take a walk in a different place, but also to just have something fun to do along the way: modern treasure hunting. You can join by downloading the Geocaching app.

Have fun with your hiking adventure!

Laura Jenny

When she’s not tapping, she’s traveling around the wonderful world of entertainment or some cool place in the real world. Mario is the man of her life,…