Try Speed Hiking

Lose weight and tone up by speed hiking. Speed hiking, you ask? Aren't you always telling us to slow down and enjoy the scenery? Yes, but I believe you can have the best of both worlds if you plan your hikes well. Do one or two speed hikes a week and I guarantee you'll burn a ton of calories and firm up all the muscles in your body. In fact, a lot of professional athletes, such as skiers, snowboarders, bicyclists and runners use speed hiking to supplement their training routines.

Speed hiking works every muscle in your body and best of all it's free. All you need is a good pair of shoes and a trail. The steeper the better.

Warm up, then hike the trail as fast as you can both uphill and downhill. Slow down if you become breathless or if the terrain gets tricky and speed up when the hike becomes easy. It's that simple. Be sure to bring plenty of water and a snack. It's also a good idea to carry a small first aid kit and a whistle with you just in case.

Speed hiking's great, but don't get so carried away with it that you forget to slow down and enjoy the beautiful scenery from time to time.