Good physical fitness is essential to having a good experience on your Costa Brava trek. It will help you avoid injury, recover faster, and allow you to more fully enjoy the beautiful scenery. In our experience, there are 4 key components to getting fit for your trek, which we cover below.
Note: The information in this email is not medical advice. Consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine, especially if you have medical conditions which may be affected.
HIKING
Simply put, the best way to get fit for a long-distance, multi-day trek is to hike often. No other method prepares you as well for climbing up and down mountains, navigating slippery footing, and stepping over rocks or other obstacles. Here are a few to tips to get the most out of your hikes:
If you live in a hilly or mountainous area, take advantage of that terrain and plan hikes with good amounts of ascent and descent.
Hike with a backpack that weighs a bit more than your trekking day pack.
Use the same boots that you will wear during your trek. This will help break in the boots and alert you to any possible pain points.
Try to string together two or three consecutive days of hiking (a long weekend is perfect) of approximately 6 to 8 hours per hike.
Give yourself rest days so your body can recuperate.
Your practice hikes will help build key stabilizing muscles in your legs, abdomen and back, as well as provide aerobic benefits. This will also help mentally prepare you for multiple days of long hikes with few breaks.
TRAINING
Strength and aerobic (cardio) training are a great supplement for those who are able to get fit by hiking a lot, but a necessity for those do not have the time or environment that allows for regular hikes.
Strength and cardio workouts should be on nonconsecutive days, and interspersed with rest days.
Running, bicycling, and swimming are all great ways to improve aerobic capacity, though running provides the most direct benefit for hiking.
Bodyweight exercises are a great way to improve your strength for hiking, and easy to do at home. These include squats, lunges, push-ups, and crunches. See the video linked below for more examples.
If you prefer weighted exercises, aim for a higher repetition range per set using a lower amount of weight. You will need endurance on the trail.
Vary your exercise routine to increase its effectiveness and keep your motivation up: try a new run location, or a different exercise in the gym.
If you have access to a Stairmaster machine or similar, start climbing! Simulate your backpack weight by wearing a weighted vest, carrying dumbbells, or even putting a heavy chain over your shoulders.
DIET
Any training regimen should be based on a healthy, balanced diet. This is good advice in general, but here it counts double.
Stay hydrated! Water lubricates your joints and helps carry oxygen to your muscles, and you'll sweat out plenty of it during exercise.
Try to base your diet as much as possible on fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains. You will need the good carbohydrates that these foods provide, as well as the important micronutrients that help your body recover and strengthen. Bananas are our favorite hiking fruit, as they're portable and provide vitamin B6 and electrolytes.
Eat a sufficient amount of high quality protein for muscle repair. Poultry and fish are great, but vegetarian options like beans and other legumes can also deliver enough protein to help your muscles re-knit themselves. If necessary, you can supplement with a good protein powder.
Consume as few highly processed foods as you can.
Treat yourself to some dark chocolate while hiking, which provides an energy boost while being both nutritious and delicious.
We recommend you calculate your daily calorie and macronutrient needs and then plan your diet accordingly. This free and simple macro calculator will give you an approximate idea of your requirements, though you may find you need more or less in reality. Set the activity level to "Moderate" or "Active" to account for your training. This is not medical advice. Consult your doctor or a medical professional to develop a plan that is right for you.
STRETCHING
Stretching is most beneficial as an injury-prevention measure and is often overlooked. There is nothing worse than cancelling a trip due to injury.
There are two kinds of stretching: dynamic and static.
Dynamic stretches are active movements and should be performed before training to warm up your muscles.
Static stretches are those where you hold a position for an extended time, and should be performed after activity.
Consider adding yoga to your training regimen, as it increases your flexibility as well as blood circulation and lung capacity.
Reference the video linked below for a simple and effective stretching routine. You might also incorporate moves from the video in the TRAINING section above as part of your dynamic stretching routine.
For inquiries regarding your specific itinerary, please contact your group leader or key travel builder. If you have any questions about the content of this email, feel free to reply here.
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