A yoga teacher says these are the three poses every walker should be doing to improve mobility and reduce injury risk
Practicing yoga can make your uphill hikes feel easier
Walking is a gentle form of exercise—but it can still leave you feeling sore, particularly after a long hike.
That’s where other supportive forms of exercise, like yoga, can help.
“Yoga improves mobility, strength and balance,” says yoga teacher Nicky Cossins.
She explains that boosting these attributes can help you hike across uneven terrain and reduce your risk of injury.
Yoga also encourages you to take deep, slow, diaphragmatic breaths, which can come in handy when you’re on an uphill stretch.
“This deep breathing enables you to maintain a steady pace on steeper climbs, reducing the feeling of breathlessness and making tougher hikes more enjoyable,” says Cossins.
Plus, practicing yoga will stretch out tight muscles after a long day of walking.
Here are three poses to try at home.
1. Downward dog
Hold: 30-60sec
- Come to your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Tuck your toes and inhale.
- Exhale, press through your hands and straighten your legs to lift your hips.
- Push your hips back slightly toward your heels.
- Take slow, steady breaths.
- Hold for 30-60 seconds, then bring your knees back to the floor.
“Downward dog lengthens the interconnected muscles along the back of the body, including the calves, hamstrings and muscles along the spine, helping to release tension that can build after hours of walking,” says Cossins.
“If you’re always wearing a backpack, you’ll typically lean forward to balance the extra weight, which can lead to a more rounded posture over time.
“Downward dog counteracts this by opening the front of the shoulders and chest,” she explains.
She adds that it is also useful for ankle stability and mobility, which will develop with frequent practice.
2. Pigeon pose
Hold: 30-60sec each side
How to do it:
- Start in downward dog, with your hands and feet on the floor, legs straight and hips elevated.
- Inhale and lift your left leg, keeping it extended.
- Exhale, bend your left knee and lower it behind your left wrist.
- Lower your left shin to the mat and bring your left ankle behind your right wrist.
- Extend your right leg behind you on the floor and lower your hips.
- Relax your shoulders and gently rotate your torso from side to side.
- Come to a forward-facing position.
- Inhale and try to lengthen your spine.
- Exhale and place your forearms and forehead on the floor.
- Breathe slowly and deeply, expanding your belly with each inhale.
- Hold for 30-60 seconds, then return to downward dog and repeat on the other side.
“Hiking on uneven terrain requires the gluteal muscles and deep hip rotators to work continuously to stabilize the pelvis,” says Cossins.
“Pigeon pose targets these muscles, helping to maintain hip mobility and ease stiffness.”
3. Bridge pose
Reps: 8-12 Hold: 20-30sec
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart.
- Rest your arms next to your body with your palms on the floor.
- Breathe deeply and hold for 20-30 seconds.
- On an exhale, lower your spine to the mat one vertebra at a time.
- Pause, then repeat.
Cossins chose this pose to build strength and endurance in the muscles that support the hips.
“Walking is a repetitive forward movement that relies on the glutes and hamstrings to generate power,” she says.
“Bridge pose strengthens these key muscles while opening the front of the hips, helping to support stronger strides.
“This is particularly beneficial on steeper climbs, where the glutes play an even greater role in driving the body uphill.”
Nicky Cossins is the founder of Yoga with Nicky. She specialises in slow-flow yoga and meditation, helping people to build strength, improve mobility and flexibility, and cultivate a greater sense of calm on and off the mat.
