What Happens To Your Body When You Run Up And Down A Hill?

Climbing hills is one of the most recommended activities to strengthen the lower body and increase our resistance capacity. It is recommended to start small, without forcing too much.

Do you want to know what happens when you run up and down a hill? Keep reading and you will find out.

In common or normal terms, keeping the body in good condition is synonymous with healthy habits and lifestyles. These are usually made up of a healthy diet and exercise routine. Thus, each personal routine depends on a previous diagnosis of the capacities of each one. At least that’s the way it should be done.

Doing it in such a way, 30-minute routines often arise mixed between aerobic and specific work. So far, all very well. The problem with these types of training routines is monotony. Many people get bored and give up this healthy habit for life.

Up hill

Walking, jogging, or running uphill is a recommended training modality for advanced people, although  many beginners can do it as well. 

This supposes a work of force, it can even be done in an interval way. There is evidence that this type of work is especially effective for losing weight.

Read: 8 recommended exercises to tone your body at home

 What is the uphill all about?

As the name implies, the uphill suggests going up a hill. The level of inclination depends on the surface and the place chosen by each person, for this reason, it does not always have the same measurements.

Despite being an exercise recommended for all types of people, it has some contraindications.

Taking into account that this suggests greater physical demand, those interested in it must comply with the following:

• Start with undemanding distance and incline hills.
• Carry out a good activation prior to exercise.
• Have the advice of a physical trainer.

• Consult a trusted doctor for an assessment.
• Do not overdo it, especially if you are a beginner.

Benefits obtained from running up a hill

The following effects will be experienced from normal hill exercise.

Improves lower body strength

The lower body is made up of the feet, legs, and thighs. These, in turn, are made up of muscles and skin, which need particular care.

When climbing hills or slopes, the level of demand for these segments becomes much more considerable.

Therefore, and gradually, the strength of the lower body is increasing, as well as the tonicity of the skin and muscle hypertrophy.

To achieve a good recovery after this kind of work it is important to consume protein, as stated in a study published in Nutrients .

Avoid injuries

Thanks to the strength offered by the effort, the chances of suffering injuries in other types of competitions or activities decrease.

To comply with this benefit, it is recommended to go uphill taking into account the capacities of each one. Thus,  the ideal is to go to the end without having made any stops. In this way and with constant training, it will be possible to obtain this benefit.

Improves lung capacity

By raising the level of physical demand, climbing hills strengthens and improves the health of the lungs.

In common or normal training conditions, this is also favored. However, the ascent of a hill or a road requires more oxygen in the body. As it is an aerobic exercise, the oxygen demand is higher.

Contributes to weight loss

Without a doubt, losing weight is one of the main objectives of most of the immersed people who practice some type of physical training.

Running up a hill represents a much higher level of demand compared to common activities. For this reason, a much higher residual thermal effect occurs within the body.

This leads the body to burn calories quickly and, therefore, the transformation of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids into energy.

Thanks to this type of work, an optimal body composition state can be achieved, according to a study published in Obesity Reviews.

Recommendations for running up a hill

Regarding the difficulty offered by this type of training, it is fair to follow a series of recommendations. In this sense, it does not matter if the person is a beginner or advanced in the world of exercise.

Posture is relevant

It is very important to maintain proper posture: avoid excessively forward hips and keep your head up (prevents spinal injuries).

Keep the rythm

Wearing out excessively in the first section becomes detrimental. Also, the power may not be enough for the entire slope.

Short steps

The decreased stride contributes to balance. For this reason, short steps not only prevent falling, but also help improve technique.

Run up hills to improve health

As you can see, running up a hill has many benefits and is a good way to exercise. It accompanies the training of a healthy diet and lifestyle to live better and prevent diseases.