Hiking Is Not About Fitness (And I Will Keep Saying It Until It Sticks)
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
If you think you can’t hike, this is - unfortunately - about you.
You know that quote about believing people when they show you who they are?
Let’s revisit that, because here I am - again -TELLING you who I am.
And yet, as recent events have confirmed, some of you remain committed to not believing me.
If you’ve ever looked at hiking and thought, “I can’t do that, I’m not fit enough,”
congratulations - genuinely - you are exactly who I’m talking to.
Because I was you when I started - still am, actually.
Just a regular old Hag who suffers up inclines, negotiates with balance and coordination, and continues to find uphill sections deeply offensive.
Unless you have a genuine medical reason that prevents you from hiking, you are me. (Obviously with a significantly better disposition.)
The Myth
Somewhere along the way, a story formed without my consent.
Apparently, hiking every weekend - Saturday and Sunday - has transformed me into some kind of rugged outdoor specimen.
A beacon of fitness.
This is untrue.
And despite my repeated attempts to correct it, the myth persists.
So, for the people in the back...
I AM NOT FIT
Not secretly fit.
Not “fit but pretending otherwise.”
Not “fit in a quirky, self-deprecating way.”
Just… not fit.
Yes, hiking regularly has made me "less unfit" than I used to be - that’s called “doing something repeatedly.”
It tends to have that effect.
But let’s not rewrite history - I did not emerge from a CrossFit dungeon.
There was no 5 am bootcamp phase, no protein shakes or personality built around gym.
I started as a regular person who walked a bit, occasionally stretched and called it a day.
The Least Inspiring Secret You’ll Ever Hear
Here it is - the big reveal - the thing so many of you keep over-complicating:
I am consistent.
Not athletic. Not impressive.
Just… annoyingly stubborn.
That’s it.
Just the refusal to quit something I’ve already started (out of spite, mostly.)
No Excuses
And before you say “but my knees / back / general existence hurts....”
Yes. Same.
That’s not a unique feature. That’s just having a body past a certain point.
Everything creaks.
Something always feels sore - this is standard operating procedure.
What now? Go outside.
Start small.
Be underwhelming.
Continue anyway.
Where to Start (Since You’ll Ask Anyway)
If you’re new here - welcome. It’s already a lot, I know
If you want something more structured than vague instructions and mild hostility, (look at you, being proactive), I’ve already written that too -
Go read it.
Then go walk.
Yes, you.
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