10 Best Trail Running/walking Alternatives for Bad Weather & Injury

The Trail Running/walking is done standing. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Side Hop-sprint, the Side To Side Box Shuffle and the Treadmill Walking.

Trail Running/walking

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Trail Running/walking

The steps for the Trail Running/walking itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Quadriceps, with calves, glutes, hamstrings · Bodyweight · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Running or hiking on trails will get the blood pumping and heart beating almost immediately. Make sure you have good shoes. While you use the muscles in your calves and buttocks to pull yourself up a hill, the knees, joints and ankles absorb the bulk of the pounding coming back down. Take smaller steps as you walk downhill, keep your knees bent to reduce the impact and slow down to avoid falling.
  2. A 150 lb person can burn over 200 calories for 30 minutes walking uphill, compared to 175 on a flat surface. If running the trail, a 150 lb person can burn well over 500 calories in 30 minutes.

The 10 Best Trail Running/walking Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Trail Running/walking on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Side Hop-sprint

    1. Side Hop-sprint

    89% match

    Quadriceps · Intermediate · Compound

    It still works the quadriceps, through a different movement.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. Stand to the side of a cone or hurdle.
    2. Begin this drill by hopping sideways over the obstacle, rebounding out of your landing to hop back to where you started.
    3. Hop for a prescribed number or repetitions as quickly as possible, and finish this drill by sprinting a short distance upon landing the last hop.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quadriceps, the same as the Trail Running/walking
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Trail Running/walking
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Trail Running/walking
  3. Treadmill Walking

    3. Treadmill Walking

    87% match

    Quadriceps · Beginner · Compound

    A good swap when you have a machine to work with, and it still works the quadriceps.

    • Machine
    How to perform it
    1. To begin, step onto the treadmill and select the desired option from the menu. Most treadmills have a manual setting, or you can select a program to run. Typically, you can enter your age and weight to estimate the amount of calories burned during exercise. Elevation can be adjusted to change the intensity of the workout.
    2. Treadmills offer convenience, cardiovascular benefits, and usually have less impact than walking outside. When walking, you should move at a moderate to fast pace, not a leisurely one. Being an activity of lower intensity, walking doesn't burn as many calories as some other activities, but still provides great benefit. A 150 lb person will burn about 175 calories walking 4 miles per hour for 30 minutes, compared to 450 calories running twice as fast. Maintain proper posture as you walk, and only hold onto the handles when necessary, such as when dismounting or checking your heart rate.

    Sets and reps: Carry for 20 to 30 metres and repeat for 3 or 4 rounds.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: quadriceps, the same as the Trail Running/walking
    • Equipment: a cardio machine, not bodyweight only
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Trail Running/walking
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Trail Running/walking
  5. Carioca Quick Step

    5. Carioca Quick Step

    74% match

    Adductors · Intermediate · Compound

    A looser match: it uses the same equipment, but it works the adductors rather than the quadriceps.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Begin with your feet a few inches apart and your left arm up in a relaxed, athletic position.
    2. With your right foot, quick step behind and pull the knee up.
    3. Fire your arms back up when you pull the right knee, being sure that your knee goes straight up and down. Avoid turning your feet as you move and continue to look forward as you move to the side.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: adductors, not quadriceps
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Trail Running/walking
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Trail Running/walking
  7. Linear 3-part Start Technique

    7. Linear 3-part Start Technique

    69% match

    Hamstrings · Intermediate · Compound

    A looser match: it uses the same equipment, but it works the hamstrings rather than the quadriceps.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. This drill helps you accelerate as quickly as possible into a sprint from a dead stop. It helps to use a line to start from. Begin with two feet on the line. Place your left foot with the toe next to your right ankle. Place your right foot 4-6 inches behind the left.
    2. Place your right hand onto the line, and thing bring your nose close to your left knee.
    3. Squat down as you lean foward, your head being lower than your hips and your weight loaded onto the left leg. This will be your starting position.
    4. Take your left hand up so that it is parallel to the ground, pointing behind you, and explode out when ready.

    Sets and reps: Work for 30 to 60 seconds, rest as long as you worked, and repeat 6 to 10 times.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: hamstrings, not quadriceps
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Trail Running/walking
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Trail Running/walking

Trail Running/walking FAQ

What muscles does Trail Running/walking work?

Trail running primarily targets the quadriceps through repeated knee extension and eccentric control, while also recruiting the glutes, hamstrings and calves for propulsion. It demands hip abductor and core activation to stabilize the pelvis on uneven terrain.

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