physical conditioning
Although our multi-day backcountry trips are designed for beginners and no backpacking experience is necessary, being in good physical shape will help reduce suffer points and make the trip more enjoyable.
What's the best way to go about preparing your body for three strenuous days in the mountains? These tips from Mark Harvey, an instructor at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), highlight some important basics:
What's the best way to go about preparing your body for three strenuous days in the mountains? These tips from Mark Harvey, an instructor at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), highlight some important basics:
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Developing flexibility before you go will reduce the chances of injury and will add to your agility. Find three or four stretches for the legs, and three or four for the trunk and arms. You can stretch just about anywhere--at the gym, in front of the TV, or at your desk. Out on the trail you may want to do a few stretches every morning as well, especially if you wake up sore and tight.
Resistance training builds muscle mass, which will give you more power and help prevent injuries. You want resistance training that strengthens the entire body. You can do resistance training with weight machines or using your own body weight. Double knee bends (not beyond 90 degrees, please), one-legged knee bends, push-ups, sit-ups, trunk lifts, and weight lifting are all good forms of resistance training. There are many ways to build your cardiovascular level depending on where you live, your preferences, and how much free time you have. The most obvious and perhaps most logical activity to train for hiking trips is, well, hiking. If you live in a big city, this training may be impossible, but if you have access to the mountains on weekends or during the week, simply get out there and hike the most varied terrain you can find. Walking uphill will build leg strength on top of your cardiovascular condition. Walking downhill develops balance and leg strength as well. If you're going to carry a heavy pack on your actual trip, you may as well carry a pack during training. If you are out of shape, start very light—say with ten pounds—and then add five pounds per week until you reach the approximate weight you plan to carry on your trip. Bicycling, running, and swimming are other good forms of exercise for developing your heart and lungs. |
LEGS and ENDURANCE:
· walking or hiking on terrain that is varied (up and down)—for example grass hills at ARC stadium.
· running or jogging (remember, for backpacking the goal is endurance not speed)
· bicycling (indoor spinning, road, or mountain biking)
· using an elliptical or other aerobic machine
Tip: While stadium steps and stair-stepper machines are better than not training, and while running up and walking down flights of stairs is a strong interval workout, the truth is that stairs are nothing like traveling outdoors. In fact, according to Mark Harvey, there is a down-side to running stadium steps or using a stair-stepper: “Stadium steps are usually concrete so there may be greater impact forces. Stair-steppers place a lot of stress behind the kneecap and they do nothing to simulate walking downhill.”
WRISTS and FOREARMS (for the hand-over-hand action on the cables below the summit):
· wrist and bicep curls
SHOULDERS (for carrying a backpack):
· pushups (the variety that works for you: full, knees down, against a wall)
· shoulder shrugs with barbells
· walking with a weighted backpack or daypack
CORE and ABDOMINALS
Abdominal crunches done three or four times a week will make your core strong for supporting your back while carrying a pack and for increasing both muscle strength and stamina. (for core strength that supports your back and stability)
· crunches
POSTURE
We've seen people carrying a backpack bent over 90 degrees at the waist. This is horrible for your body! Poor posture puts all the weight on smaller muscles, making you tired and achy. When you are tired on the trail it'll be difficult to control your posture if you haven't practiced good posture when working out. To keep your back in correct alignment think of lifting your rib cage, dropping your shoulder blades and slightly tucking your tailbone in.
TIPS ON EXERCISING
We recommend that you exercise 3 to 4 days a week.
Taking a walk on days between workouts is especially important because you are working your muscles without breaking down tissue, in a way that contributes to your baseline fitness and endurance, and maintains your metabolism.
Vary your workouts (especially if you are exercising more frequently), focusing on low intensity/longer duration (this would be your walk days), and medium intensity (60-70% of max. heart rate) exercise.
Allow a day or two after medium to high intensity workouts to recover. Take a low intensity walk on these days.
Remember to warm-up before strenuous exercise and to stretch afterwards.
If you haven't been exercising regularly, build up slowly.
If you have any concerns about designing a fitness program that meets your particular needs and abilities, we strongly recommend that you seek consultation with a professional fitness trainer.
· walking or hiking on terrain that is varied (up and down)—for example grass hills at ARC stadium.
· running or jogging (remember, for backpacking the goal is endurance not speed)
· bicycling (indoor spinning, road, or mountain biking)
· using an elliptical or other aerobic machine
Tip: While stadium steps and stair-stepper machines are better than not training, and while running up and walking down flights of stairs is a strong interval workout, the truth is that stairs are nothing like traveling outdoors. In fact, according to Mark Harvey, there is a down-side to running stadium steps or using a stair-stepper: “Stadium steps are usually concrete so there may be greater impact forces. Stair-steppers place a lot of stress behind the kneecap and they do nothing to simulate walking downhill.”
WRISTS and FOREARMS (for the hand-over-hand action on the cables below the summit):
· wrist and bicep curls
SHOULDERS (for carrying a backpack):
· pushups (the variety that works for you: full, knees down, against a wall)
· shoulder shrugs with barbells
· walking with a weighted backpack or daypack
CORE and ABDOMINALS
Abdominal crunches done three or four times a week will make your core strong for supporting your back while carrying a pack and for increasing both muscle strength and stamina. (for core strength that supports your back and stability)
· crunches
POSTURE
We've seen people carrying a backpack bent over 90 degrees at the waist. This is horrible for your body! Poor posture puts all the weight on smaller muscles, making you tired and achy. When you are tired on the trail it'll be difficult to control your posture if you haven't practiced good posture when working out. To keep your back in correct alignment think of lifting your rib cage, dropping your shoulder blades and slightly tucking your tailbone in.
TIPS ON EXERCISING
We recommend that you exercise 3 to 4 days a week.
Taking a walk on days between workouts is especially important because you are working your muscles without breaking down tissue, in a way that contributes to your baseline fitness and endurance, and maintains your metabolism.
Vary your workouts (especially if you are exercising more frequently), focusing on low intensity/longer duration (this would be your walk days), and medium intensity (60-70% of max. heart rate) exercise.
Allow a day or two after medium to high intensity workouts to recover. Take a low intensity walk on these days.
Remember to warm-up before strenuous exercise and to stretch afterwards.
If you haven't been exercising regularly, build up slowly.
If you have any concerns about designing a fitness program that meets your particular needs and abilities, we strongly recommend that you seek consultation with a professional fitness trainer.