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Camp Your Way to Fitness
Get Fit in the Great Outdoors
By Phyllis Ring
"I generally begin walking 2 to 3 miles several times a week when I know we're going on a trip," Gale says. "But when preparing for backpacking, I also spend about 30 minutes a day stretching my backpacking muscles to get ready. If we're planning a trip during which we'll hike in, spend the night, then hike out, I plan to train for at least two weeks in advance."
The following exercises help gently stretch the major muscle groups a backpacking camper will need. Hold each for 20 seconds and repeat twice:
- Hamstrings: With feet together, bend to touch toes while keeping back straight and legs straight but not locked. Lift head slightly to look upwards.
- Quadriceps: Standing on one leg, pull foot of lifted leg toward buttocks. Push hips forward, and keep knees side-by-side and touching, if possible.
- Calves: Roll up onto the balls of your feet. Straighten one leg at a time to feel a gentle pull along each calf.
- Lower Back: Standing with feet shoulder-distance apart, place hands on hips and rotate your trunk in a circle.
After stretching, Gale uses some of her favorite exercise videos that target the major backpacking muscle groups with strengthening exercises. To further boost her readiness, she conditions her heart and lungs with aerobic exercises, such as walking, jogging or swimming, for 30 to 45 minutes every other day.
"Prior to a trip, I also begin eating more complex carbohydrates, especially before I exercise," she says. "They are also a big part of my diet on a camping trip, along with fruit, nuts and pre-packaged, dehydrated meals that are high in protein." As with any exercise, outdoor activity also demands plenty of water – ideally eight to 12 cups a day, Gale says.
