Hiking
Cover ground on foot, from gentle trails to high hills
Overview
Hiking is walking along natural trails, paths and hillsides, usually away from roads and traffic. It scales freely from a flat, waymarked route of an hour or two to a long, demanding day in the mountains, so almost anyone can find a level that suits them.
Because it needs little more than sturdy footwear and a sensible plan, hiking is one of the easiest outdoor activities to take up. It rewards you with fresh air, changing scenery and a strong sense of exploration, and it works just as well as a quiet solo walk or a sociable group outing.
Why hiking is good for your health
- Builds cardiovascular and aerobic fitness through sustained walking
- Strengthens the legs and improves stamina, especially on climbs
- Uneven ground helps develop balance and stability
- Time outdoors and in nature can be calming and refreshing
The social side
- Walking groups and rambling clubs welcome all paces and abilities
- An easy, low-pressure way to spend time and chat with friends
- Shared routes and summits give a satisfying common goal
How to start as a beginner
- 1Start with a short, well-marked trail on gentle terrain
- 2Wear comfortable, supportive footwear with good grip
- 3Check the weather, tell someone your route, and carry water and a snack
- 4Build up distance and elevation gradually as your fitness grows
Equipment you’ll need
- Sturdy walking shoes or bootsEssentialGood grip and support matter most on uneven ground
- Weather-appropriate layersEssentialConditions can change quickly in hills and mountains
- Water and a snackEssential
- A map, or a charged phone with offline mapsOptional
- A small backpack and light waterproofOptional
Where to play
Hiking is typically played at:
Explore clubs and venues to understand the different places you can play, or see how to find people to play with.
Playing Hiking
The equipment, rules, skills and more that make up the game — each cross-linked into the encyclopedia.
Related sports to explore
If you enjoy Hiking, you might also like these.
Trail Running
Running off-road on trails, hills and natural terrain, away from pavements and traffic.
Nordic Walking
A gentle, accessible endurance activity that adds poles to bring the upper body into every walk.
Orienteering
A navigation sport that combines running or walking with map-reading to find a series of checkpoints.
Mountain Biking
An off-road cycling sport ridden on rugged trails, mixing endurance, bike handling and outdoor adventure.
Compare Hiking with…
Deciding between Hiking and something similar? See how they line up side by side.
Bouldering vs Hiking
How they compare on difficulty, intensity, kit and what suits you.
Disc Golf vs Hiking
How they compare on difficulty, intensity, kit and what suits you.
Golf vs Hiking
How they compare on difficulty, intensity, kit and what suits you.
Hiking vs Horse Riding
How they compare on difficulty, intensity, kit and what suits you.
Hiking vs Mountain Biking
How they compare on difficulty, intensity, kit and what suits you.
Hiking vs Nordic Walking
How they compare on difficulty, intensity, kit and what suits you.
Reach your goals with Hiking
People take up Hiking for all kinds of reasons. Here is what it can help you work towards.
Become more active
Add regular, gentle movement to your everyday life and build up from a sedentary start at your own pace.
Build an active lifestyle
Make movement a natural, lasting part of daily life through activities and habits you genuinely enjoy.
Improve mental wellbeing
Use regular, enjoyable activity to support your mood, connection and sense of wellbeing as one healthy habit among many.
Reduce stress
Find calmer, healthier ways to unwind through regular movement, gentle mind-body activity and time outdoors.
Improve sleep
Support more restful sleep by staying active during the day and building a consistent daily rhythm.
Quit smoking
How sport and activity can support a smoke-free routine — alongside proper professional support.
Who & where Hiking fits
Sport should fit your life. Here is who Hiking suits and when it works.
Weekend athletes
How to enjoy recreational sport on weekends while staying comfortable and consistent through the week.
Travelers
How to stay active on the move with minimal-equipment sport that works almost anywhere.
Parents
How busy parents can fit sport around family life with flexible, home-friendly and time-efficient options.
Families
How families can be active together with inclusive, all-ages sports that make movement social and fun.
Outdoors
Sport and activity in the fresh air — running, cycling, hiking and more, using parks, trails and open space.
On vacation
Keeping active while travelling — pool swims, walks, hikes and water sports that fit a holiday, not a routine.
How it connects
The meaning-bearing relationships that place Hiking in the wider knowledge graph.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Hiking to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Glossary
- CramponsCrampons are metal spiked frames strapped to boots to provide grip on ice and hard, compacted snow.
- Own GoalA goal accidentally scored by a player against their own team, counted for the opposition.
- Set (Training)In training, a set is a group of consecutive repetitions of an exercise performed before resting.
- Game managementThe strategic control of a match's pace, risk and situation to protect an advantage or influence the result.
- Substitute BenchThe seated area, and the group of named substitutes and staff on it, from which replacements enter the game.
Recommendations
- Recommended for “Become more active”A transparent, graph-based set of recommendations if your goal is to become more active — sports, qualities, a learning path and first steps, each shown with the reason it’s recommended.
- Recommended for “Build an active lifestyle”A transparent, graph-based set of recommendations if your goal is to build an active lifestyle — sports, qualities, a learning path and first steps, each shown with the reason it’s recommended.
- Recommended for “Improve mental wellbeing”A transparent, graph-based set of recommendations if your goal is to improve mental wellbeing — sports, qualities, a learning path and first steps, each shown with the reason it’s recommended.
- Recommended for “Reduce stress”A transparent, graph-based set of recommendations if your goal is to reduce stress — sports, qualities, a learning path and first steps, each shown with the reason it’s recommended.
- Recommended for “Improve sleep”A transparent, graph-based set of recommendations if your goal is to improve sleep — sports, qualities, a learning path and first steps, each shown with the reason it’s recommended.
Movement patterns
- GaitThe cyclic, alternating single-leg pattern of walking and running that carries the body across the ground — the base of most field and endurance sport.
- CarryHolding and transporting a load while keeping the trunk braced and stable — an anti-movement pattern that builds grip, core stability and full-body strength.
Beginner guides
- How to Choose a Sport as a BeginnerA calm, practical way to pick a first sport that fits your interests, your body, your budget and your life — with full permission to try a few and change your mind.
- Beginner Clothing and Equipment BasicsA calm, practical guide to what to wear and bring for a first session — comfort and freedom of movement first, borrow or hire before you buy, and footwear that matches the surface.
- Playing Alone or With Others: Which to Start WithA friendly, honest look at the trade-offs of starting a sport on your own versus alongside other people — and why, for most sports, you don't really have to pick just one.
- Beginner Sports Terminology: Making Sense of the WordsEvery sport comes with its own vocabulary, and this guide shows you how to stay relaxed about the words you don't know yet, lean on the glossary, and pick up the language naturally as you go.
- How to Join a Beginner Group or ClassA warm, practical walk-through of joining a beginner sports group or class — what they are like, how to find one, and what a first session tends to feel like.
Healthy living
- WalkingThe most accessible activity there is — free, low-impact, and one of the easiest ways to add movement to any day.
- Outdoor LifestyleChoosing to spend more of your active time outside, where fresh air and surroundings make movement more enjoyable.
- Recovery routineBringing your recovery habits together into a simple, repeatable rhythm — so rest becomes a natural part of an active week.
- Sleep HygieneThe everyday habits and surroundings that make good sleep more likely — a calmer room, steadier timing and gentler evenings.
- Recovery walkingEasy, relaxed walking used as a way to recover — a low-effort way to keep moving on off days and after harder sessions.
Practice & sessions
- Individual practicePractising on your own — you set the focus, run the drills and work at your own pace, with no partner or coach present.
- Beginner orientation sessionA gentle first session for someone completely new — an introduction to the basics, the setting and the equipment, with a relaxed first go.
- Small-group practicePractising in a small group of a few players — sharing drills, rotating roles and using small-sided games so everyone stays involved.
- Team practicePractising with a full team — working on roles, patterns of play and communication so the group performs together, usually under a coach.
Keep going
A sport is most rewarding alongside good habits, sensible nutrition and people to share it with. Here is where to go next.
How movement supports body and mind.
Eat well to feel and perform better.
Build routines that stick.
Ways to meet others and play together.
Where to play and what to expect.
Browse the full list by category.