Train for life

Why I hike differently in midlife.

In 1995, I moved to Boulder to attend the University of Colorado.

Honestly? One of the biggest reasons I picked Boulder wasn’t the school. It was the mountains. The trails. The feeling that life here was meant to be lived outside.

Since then, I’ve hiked all over the world. But my favorite hike is still the one right behind my house — a short climb up Flagstaff to a quiet overlook of Boulder and the mountains beyond. Depending on whether I’m carrying a weighted pack, a sandbag, or a toddler, it usually takes me 45–60 minutes.

That trail has become a timeline of my life.

It’s where I go to process big feelings. It’s where I scattered the ashes of dogs who shaped entire chapters of my life. It’s where I’ve cried, healed, reflected, dreamed, and reset.

And now? It’s where I carry my almost-2-year-old daughter, Sadie, on my back. Almost daily.

If you’d asked me in my twenties whether a woman approaching 50 should be hiking mountains with a toddler strapped to her back, I probably would’ve said “absolutely not.”

And yet — here we are. Perspective changes. Thank God.

Because now, I cannot imagine not doing it.

I don’t work out anymore. I train for life.

When I was younger, hiking was about performance. I trail-ran mountains. I sprinted uphill. I squeezed workouts into busy days. I was chasing output — and rarely slowing down long enough to appreciate the journey.

Approaching 50, hiking has become something entirely different. It’s where I reconnect — with myself, with nature, with family, with friends. Some days, it’s simply where I breathe.

Becoming a mom later in life also changed why I train. I always knew I’d probably be an older mom. What I didn’t know was how old I’d feel starting over with a toddler.

Looking back, I realize something: I was unknowingly training for this season of life all along.

In my 30s, I found strength training. I founded Bella Strength because I believed — and still believe — that when women build physical strength, they build confidence. And once confidence is built in the body, the mind follows.

That philosophy became what I call FUN-ctional Fitness.

Not six-pack fit. Not aesthetic fit. Life fit. Strong enough to live your life confidently. Beautifully strong from the inside out.

Today, that philosophy matters more to me than ever. Because now I train to hike my daughter. And hopefully someday — my great-grandkids, too.

Why hiking is one of the best sports for aging well

Hiking may be one of the most underrated longevity tools available, especially for women in midlife. It combines:

• Strength

• Cardiovascular endurance

• Balance

• Joint mobility

• Bone-loading resistance

• Mental health support

• Nervous system regulation

• Cognitive engagement

• Stability on uneven terrain

  
  

And unlike many forms of exercise, hiking trains your body for the unpredictability of real life.

Because life doesn’t happen on perfectly flat gym floors. It happens on unstable terrain. With fatigue. With distractions. With emotional stress. With things we carry — literally and figuratively.

That’s why how I train has evolved.

My three tools for hiking strong in midlife

1. Weighted hiking — functional training for real life

On days I’m not hiking with Sadie on my back, I’m often hiking with weighted objects instead.

Carrying weight uphill over uneven terrain requires far more than “cardio.” It requires strength, stability, postural endurance, reactive movement, core control, and strong stabilizers — and those don’t magically appear when you throw a child carrier on your back.

You have to train them.

Weighted hiking has become one of the most functional forms of training I do, because it translates directly to real life. Kids. Groceries. Suitcases. Backpacks. Life.

2. Hiking poles — the most underrated tool in the toolbox

The day I fell on the trail? I wasn’t using my hiking poles. Trust me — I regretted that decision immediately.

Hiking poles are one of the simplest, most underrated tools for improving stability, posture, rhythm, and joint protection on trails, especially during descents and uneven terrain.

Studies have shown hiking poles can absorb up to 70% of the impact placed on your knee joints during downhill hiking. That’s huge, especially as we age.

Protecting our knees, hips, and joints isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom. More people would keep hiking later in life if they understood how much better their bodies could feel using the right tools.

3. The BALEROboard — why I spent 10 years building a tool to train stability

One of the reasons I invented the BALEROboard is that I believed stabilizer training was wildly underrated.

Everyone talks about building bigger muscles. Very few people talk about the smaller stabilizing muscles that keep us upright, agile, coordinated, and resilient through life.

But those stabilizers matter. They help us stay stable. They help prevent falls. And if we do fall, they help us recover faster.

That belief became deeply personal after becoming a mom and hiking regularly with Sadie on my back. I’ve fallen on trails carrying her. That moment reinforced exactly why I created this product.

Training balance and reactive movement isn’t just “fitness.” It’s injury prevention. It’s confidence. It’s longevity.

It’s training your nervous system to react when life becomes unpredictable.

I spent over 10 years bringing the BALEROboard to market because I felt that strongly about giving people a simple, portable tool to train their stabilizers anywhere.

At times, it probably sounded a little crazy to be so passionate about balance training. But persistence paid off. I received the patent for the world’s first inflatable and deflatable balance trainer — and now I’m finally starting to see validation directly from consumers who understand why this type of training matters.

WE’LL BE AT HIKE EXPO COLORADO 2026

Gaylord Rockies Resort — Denver, Colorado

May 15–16, 2026 · Free admission · All ages, all levels

The expo brings together outdoor brands, speakers, educators, and hiking enthusiasts for two days focused on gear, trails, movement, longevity, and community.

We’ll be there doing live demos, introducing people to the BALEROboard, and showing how balance and stabilizer training directly support:

• Hiking performance

• Injury prevention

• Stability on uneven terrain

• Active aging and longevity

• Confidence outdoors

  
  

For me personally, this feels full circle. I moved to Boulder because of the outdoors. Now, decades later, I get to bring a product born from those mountains — and from my passion for helping people move confidently through life — back into the hiking community that inspired it all.

Come find us. Try the board. Say hi.

The goal isn’t just longevity. It’s capability.

There’s a huge difference between simply living longer and actually being capable while you’re living.

I want to keep hiking mountains. I want to carry my daughter as long as I can. I want to move confidently through life. I want strength that translates beyond the gym.

And most importantly? I want to help other women realize they are far more physically capable than they think.

That has always been the mission behind Bella Strength. And now, even more so, the mission behind BALEROboard.

Movement is freedom. Strength builds confidence. And balance might be one of the most important skills we train for the second half of life.

So now I’m curious.

Do you intentionally train your stabilizers?

If yes — what do you do? If not — why not?

I’d genuinely love to hear how you train for life.

— Karen

Founder, BALEROboard · Bella Strength

Train for life. Be ready for anything.

#EverydayFIT