For those who find it difficult to picture a vacation that takes place far from a white sandy beach, hiking in your time off can seem particularly bizarre. Why, you may ask, should I spend my free time on my feet tiring myself out, away from the sun, the sea, and the sand? However, hiking vacations are among the most popular in the world – and there’s a reason for this. They’re wholesome, natural, and wonderful for your mental health. They enable reflection and joy, as well as fitness and strength. As such, if you’re considering taking a hiking holiday, here’s how you should prepare.
Equipment
A hiking vacation – and the small amount of training you should do beforehand – requires equipment. The key items of equipment that you should invest in at the beginning of your training schedule are boots and a backpack, if you have not invested in some boots try looking in the Bootbomb store. Generally, the more you spend, the better your equipment will be – and the less discomfort you’ll feel on your walk.
Once you’ve bought these two key components, it’s time to get used to wearing them. Wear in your boots on short walks in your neighborhood or to the store; similarly, wear in your bag, with some weight in it, in order to test how it’ll feel on your back during your vacation. Getting accustomed to your equipment before your hike will prevent blisters and back pain while on vacation.
Specific Exercises
The accepted wisdom for walkers is not that you should train by walking – but that you should walk, swim, run, and cycle a little more than usual in order to build up your overall body strength. The stronger you make your body before your hiking trip, the less pain, fatigue, aches, or discomfort you’ll feel when you’re walking through some of the most delightful scenery in the world.
Then there’s muscular work. This needn’t be extreme, but making use of The Fitness Club Facilities in order to build up certain muscles will be a huge plus for your hiking trip. In particular, you should focus on leg exercises and strengthening for your lower back, so that your legs are stronger for walking and your back is more resilient with a backpack on.
Energy and Fuel
Hiking requires you to consume more calories than you would in your ordinary life. Settling down for your usual meals, after having walked 15 miles, will still leave your belly rumbling and your body fatigued. If you want to get fit before your hike and remain healthy during it, you need to understand how calories and fuel work in your body.
The crucial thing here is to eat as you go. Whenever you head out on a training walk, take high-calorie foods like nuts, chocolate, and pasta to eat on the move. Meanwhile, if you’re going to the gym to build up muscle, make sure you’re eating carbs before and protein after, in order to back up your exercise with the right fuel.
Hiking is a great way to enjoy your time off – and with these tips, you’ll be better prepared to have a wonderful time when you’re next hiking abroad.
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