Hill walking: the leg workout that needs no gym

Walking uphill: the leg workout that sneaks up on you

How much does it cost to turn a walk into a leg workout? Apparently, nothing. All it takes is leaving flat ground behind and finding a hill. The numbers are striking: three hours on a trail with gradients of up to 50% and legs that simply stop responding. According to those who have tried it, it feels like using a gym without paying the membership.

The case for the incline is simple: your basal metabolic rate soars without any need to run or carry weights. A two-and-a-half-hour walk added up to around 15,000 steps and an estimated 2,000 kcal. When your legs start to give out, the job is done. That said, the calisthenics park along the route is another story: it is usually so badly built it's laughable, with heights and distances that just don't add up. And then there's the contentious figure: a sustained 50% gradient for almost the entire route sounds more like a antiestéticat than a stroll. In fact, the extreme reference point of the cheese-rolling race, that brutal downhill sprint, helps put what such a gradient really means into perspective.

There are alternatives: running with 1.5 kg ankle weights, looking for firm sand on the beach, or doing short intervals on soft sand, taking care with your joints. Every terrain has its price. But flat ground, all things considered, remains a comfortable option, as any city dweller would say. While those with mountains nearby rub their quadriceps, everyone else settles for the seafront promenade. And the question remains: is the incline the only way, or just the perfect excuse not to pay for a gym?