Putting one foot in front of the other may sound like a cinch, but hikers know that walking trails requires more than just toned quadriceps and glutes. It also requires balance and coordination. These assets not only help hikers tick off miles, cross streams, and hop between boulders, they also stave off injury by stabilizing joints and preventing falls.

NEXT STEPS
Try some of these exercises in your bare feet, says trainer Melanie Webb—or simply walk around barefoot more often. It'll help strengthen stabilizing muscles in your feet and ankles.

"Where the nerve integrates with the muscle fiber, there's a structure that sends a message to the brain telling you where you are in space—that's what you can train to get better," says Melanie Webb, owner of Sol Fitness Adventures, which trains people for hiking trips to places such as the Inca Trail and Kilimanjaro. As we get older, Webb says, we tend to play less and stick to the same movement patterns, losing a lot of our natural balance. But with the right exercises, she has seen even 70-year-olds improve their balance and coordination.

Webb and another personal trainer, Marcus Shapiro, offered four simple exercises that can help hikers improve their overall balance and coordination before they hit the trail. (Shapiro is owner of Fit for Trips, a company that designs workout plans for travelers preparing to hike to Kilimanjaro, the Alps, and other international locales.) Whatever your destination, these exercises can help you get there.

Unstable Lunges
The key to building coordination and balance is to simulate the demands of hiking—a concept that Webb and Shapiro call "specificity." Lunges strengthen many of the same leg, hip, and core muscles used while hiking, and adding another variable—an unstable surface— simulates uneven ground and obstacles like roots or rocks. Shapiro recommends putting a disk pillow—an inflatable rubber disk commonly found in gyms—or a couch cushion under your front foot as you bend into a lunge. Alternatively, try the lunge with a towel under your heel and then under the ball of your foot. Start with six repetitions of each type of lunge on each side, then work up to 15 repetitions on each side.

Bosu Ball Squats
Webb recommends using a Bosu Ball, a large rubber ball that's flat on one side—or a couch cushion—to practice stabilizing your body while standing on an uneven surface. Stand on top of the ball with the flat side down, and start by squatting slowly 10 times. Then, Webb suggests trying to stand on one leg and toss a ball up and down 10 times while balancing. Switch legs. Eventually try the squats and one-legged ball tosses standing on the flat side of the ball with the round side face-down.

One-Legged Deadlifts
Simply standing on one foot while doing common routines, like brushing your teeth, can help strengthen the stabilizing muscles in your legs and ankles. For a greater challenge, try one-legged deadlifts: From a standing position, shift your weight on to your right leg and hinge at your hips, reaching for the floor with your fingertips, and raising your left leg straight behind you. Remember to keep your hips square; you should be able to balance a tennis ball on the base of your spine. "This is a really important exercise for hip strength and stability and flexibility," says Shapiro. "It also takes strength to come back up." Repeat 10-15 times, then switch to the other side. Eventually, try the move with a dumbbell in each hand.

Plank Pose
"One of the most important pieces that improves your balance is engaging your core—and not just your abs but your back muscles, hips, and glutes," says Webb. That means engaging your trunk muscles and keeping an eye on posture while performing the previous exercises. Webb also recommends a yoga pose called "plank." From a prone position, lift your body so that it is perfectly horizontal with the floor, balancing on palms and toes, and hold for 20 seconds. "When you do crunches, you often use your hip flexors and neck muscles too much," says Webb. "This really engages your back muscles and your stomach muscles." Work up to one minute, eventually doing three sets. For those with wrist injuries, try plank resting on elbows and toes.