How to Get in Shape for Backpacking
Overview
The best way to get in shape for backpacking is to stay fit with regular exercise. When starting backpacking as a form of outdoor recreation, specific areas of the body must be strong and in shape. Strengthening leg muscles is only one part of getting in shape for backpacking. It's also important to have a strong core, or back and abdomen muscles. Keeping ankles, knees and hips flexible also is imperative when you face inclines or steep hills. You must build endurance over time and increase it as you approach the date of an excursion that will last longer than your average backpacking trip.
Step 1
Exercise daily if you are not already fit. Start a regular exercise program of walking, biking, aerobics or swimming two months before you plan to take a backpacking trip.
Step 2
Increase your overall endurance by lengthening your normal exercise sessions. Know the estimated time of the hike you are planning and lengthen your workouts accordingly. Add 5 to 10 minutes a day to the cardio portion of your exercise routine, until you match the backpacking time.
Step 3
Strengthen the body's core--the back and the abdomen--with specific exercises. Use a rowing machine to work the core muscles. Renting a rowboat or using your own also will strengthen those muscles and give you a chance to exercise outside. Mat Pilates also strengthens the core.
Step 4
Keep the body flexible and pliable with regular practice. Practicing Hatha yoga will help keep body movements fluid. Yoga also helps you achieve better physical and mental balance. The Garland Pose will stretch your back, torso and ankles. Practice the Garland Pose, or Malasana, by squatting as low as you can go. Keep your feet close together. Place your hands in prayer position and lower the arms until the outer arms are resting on the inner thighs. Breathe into the pose and release. For more yoga positions to help you stretch and get in shape for backpacking, visit the Yoga Journal website.
Step 5
Exercise with a fully loaded backpack. Pack it with real items or with the equivalent weight you'll be carrying on the trail. You can use bags of rice in the backpack to mimic the weight. Wear the backpack when you take a walk or when you use the treadmill at home or at the gym.
Step 6
Incorporate inclined surfaces into your exercise. On the treadmill, adjust the incline up every 5 minutes until you reach the maximum incline, or choose a program on the treadmill which has random settings, with changing inclines.
Step 7
Hike on increasingly more difficult trails when you go backpacking. Start with short trails labeled easy to moderate. Explore a longer trail the next time you go. Continue to hike on longer trails with more rugged terrain to get in shape for backpacking.
skill
4
ingredient
Walking trail or treadmill with incline option
Rowing machine
Backpack filled with gear
30 minutes per day minimum
tip
Wear in new hiking boots before wearing them for backpacking.
Hike during all seasons to get in shape for backpacking in all weather conditions and temperatures.
warning
Do not forget to stretch before any hike or exercise.
keyword
backpacking, get in shape for backpacking, fitness and hiking, hiking and getting in shape, staying fit for backpacking
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