How to physically prepare for travel adventures (Part 1)

I have recently finished doing a TV interview regarding how to adequately prepare for an adventure holiday. Travel adventures consist of hiking, kayaking, backpacking, river rafting. All adventures varying in activity levels and levels of strenuousness. The interview I conducted was for www.falkadventures.com, an amazing company which takes its clients all over the world to some amazing places.

This particular company takes its clients hiking up Machu Picchu, river rafting down the Amazon, hiking up active volcanoes and even kayaking down rivers in Costa Rica to soak up the serene and exotic wildlife. The pictures they take and the stories they tell are a far cry from any organized group trip which ever travels to those areas.

Bear in mind though that some level of physical fitness is required to a small degree. Most of the travelers tend to be moderately active but it does not require you to be able to run a marathon or even anything close to that.

The best thing you can do to prepare for an adventure trip is to try to re-create the same conditions as your adventure. If your adventure consists of hiking up an active volcano, then you should put on your rucksack, wear the same hiking boots you’ll be wearing while on your trip and hike up a mountain - you don’t want to be caught off guard with brand new hiking boots. And since you’ll be wearing a backpack, your body needs to be aware of the shift in your center of gravity while hiking uphill/downhill.

Core
My advice during the interview was to strengthen and work the all important core. The core consists of those hidden muscles around your trunk, mainly consisting of the pelvis area, hips, abdominal muscles, oblique and lower/middle back. Core muscles are responsible for many different things including protecting your internal organs, supporting your back, stabilizing your spine, and holding your body upright. All of these muscles work together to keep your trunk stable while your limbs are active. A strong core keeps your body upright, improves your balance and effectively moves your arms and legs with more efficiency. This group of muscle is very important when carrying a backpack, walking uphill and walking on uneven surfaces – remember that your center of gravity will shift when carrying a backpack so developing a strong core is very important to keep yourself balanced and moving. The core muscle group is also greatly activated when kayaking and river rafting.

Quads, Hamstrings and Gluteus
These three muscles found in the lower body are the three biggest muscles or primary movers found in the leg. These muscles need to be strong and stable during your hike or while standing on your feet and discovering distant exotic locations. After all, you don’t want to experience a leg cramp in the middle of discovering the amazing Mayan ruins of Tikal in beautiful but uncrowded Guatemala.

Improving your cardio-respiratory fitness
Strengthening the core and leg muscles is only half the story. One needs to have an adequate level of cardio-respiratory fitness. The greater your cardio-respiratory level, the more efficiently your heart will be able to provide oxygen to hard working muscles, and the less likely you will find yourself out of breath during hikes or any other type of activity.

In the next article, I will highlight some exercises and activities potential travelers can do to prepare for adventure trips.