Preparing for a trek

Ever been overwhelmed by the thought of not being able to finish a trek ? Registered for a trek, but unsure about how to get in shape? We give you a few tips on how to get ready for a trek.

Maintaining ones fitness is extremely vital, if one desires to have a painless and stress-free trekking experience. It makes a world of difference on a trek. Depending on your current fitness level, and the kind of trek you are preparing for, it would take around 3–6 months to train for one. If you already follow a training schedule (gym routine,sports and games, run, swim, cycle, martial arts, etc), you are right where you need to be.

However, for those not so fitness and outdoor savvy, we’d recommend starting with at least 3 days weekly, with a combination of muscle building, and cardio activity to get you started. This should be amped up, as you get closer to the trek day, and your body gets used to the intensity of this new regimen.

Some of the few ways we recommend doing this is by:

While you do pick one or more of the above activities to work on during your training period, don’t forget to add in some yoga and stretching to complement them. Yoga tremendously helps in making your body more flexible and alleviates any muscle tightness or soreness issues, which could crop up in the due course of any of the above activities.

How much time is required to prepare oneself for a high altitude or long trek ?

Quite a lot, depending on your how much you’d like to devote to it, every single day.

There are a lot of questions that need to be answered before one can get into a new training regimen, in the course of trek preparation.

As per AFPA fitness (https://www.afpafitness.com), you are most likely to encounter the following questions while signing up at fitness studios/gyms:

One must not assume that they are fit, and ready for a trek, or that they possess a greater level of endurance than they actually do, as this can lead them to underestimate the difficulty and magnitude of the trek.

Experience and intensity of trekking during a certain period becomes irrelevant when one has taken a long break from it. When this happens, you are as new as someone who has never trekked before; even though you might still possess some amount of muscle memory; of where to place your feet, how to be steady, how to break a fall, etc.

A sense of complacency must not set in during this phase, as this is a significantly defining step of what actually makes a trekker. You should be fit throughout the year even during lengthy periods of time where you might not be trekking at all. You should be able to confidently jump into any trek at the shortest notice without the slightest hint of hesitation or trepidation. Only through this discipline, can one maintain their general level of fitness & use it as a foundation for endurance sport events like long, high altitude treks.

Laziness setting in?

Many trekkers have faced this scenario where, during the trekking season they got to go on plenty of treks, only to relapse, become unfit and sedentary during summer and monsoon where they didn’t trek at all. When they did get back to trekking a couple of months later, they noticed how their fitness suffered, and weren’t able to perform to the best of their abilities on the trek, sometimes struggling to keep up with the group. As ones life is generally not predictable, there must be a routine in place when it comes to sustaining physical fitness and continuous participation in endurance activities in the long run. Even this must neither be compulsive or done on an impulse, and must come from within.

The antidote

As mentioned above, committing to a fitness routine consistently and regularly takes all the soreness out of a trek even if you haven’t trekked in a while. The added benefit, is that a sport routine not only helps in getting you ready for a trek, but also helps maintain your general fitness and health regardless of whether you trek or not.

In case you lack the motivation and inclination to take up solo sports, you could take a gym membership and enroll for group activities. In this way, you will feel obligated to commit to it, instead of battling your mind early in the morning (or after work) regarding whether to workout or not. Alternatively, you could also ask a friend to pair up with you for a team sport on a daily basis, so that you can motivate each other to make it for the session. However, you shouldn’t let it become a cycle of dependency.

For the athlete in you

Thirdly, you could sign up for competitive training in a discipline of your choice. There are competitive swimming training classes available at many pools in the city. This creates a sense of seriousness, due to the fear of being reprimanded, or that of poor performance. This not only prepares you for competitive endurance events but also ensures that fitness becomes an inherent part of your life.

References:
1. https://www.afpafitness.com