High altitude treks are all about strength, endurance and stamina. Its always good to prepare well before going on one these long duration treks.
Top 3 points you should keep in mind:
Stamina
Stamina is one of the most important components and need when you are doing long distance treks. Every day you need to trek around 10 -20 kms and building your stamina becomes very important in such cases.
Take out 1 hour each day and devote to exercise. You should be able to run/jog atleast 4 kms in 25 minutes. Each day do a pre workout and post work out stretching.
Core exercises you should do everyday:
V crunch — 2 x 30 reps
— https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1PCW2xubGo
Russian twist — 2 x 30 reps
— https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkD8rjkodUI
Flutter kick — 2 x 30 seconds
— https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANVdMDaYRts
Bicycle crunch — 2 x 30 reps
Knee-raises — 50 reps
Plank — 60 seconds
Strength training
Building core body strength is very important. On long treks you will need to carry a bagpack of 10–20 kgs and that can take a toll on your body. Strengthen your legs with exercises for the legs like squats, pushups and planks.
Find below a 17 minute workout shared by one of my fitness trainers which is very effective do it everyday to build stamina and strength.
1. 3 mins of the Founder exercise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BOTvaRaDjI
2. 30 half squats (1 min)
3. 30 push ups (1 min)
4. 3 mins plank
5. 6 suryanamaskara (3 mins)
6. 3 mins pranayama (inhale from left exhale from right and vice versa)
7. 3 mins shavasan
It just takes 17 mins everyday.
Flexibility/Agility
The body needs to be flexible and agile. Try to improve your balance. Try standing on one leg with your other leg out in front of you. After holding it for ten seconds, switch legs and do the same. You can also use a mirror to ensure that your legs are straight. Do jump drills, do ladder drills.
You can also do some high intensity workouts like run fast at a higher pace than you usually do and then slow down the pace repeat this for atleast 5–6 times.
Preparation should also include eating the right foods and reducing the intake of junk food. Have a right mix of fruits, vegetables and lentils.
The above preparation will not only prepare you for High altitude treks but also make you fit :)
This blog was originally published on
https://medium.com/treks-unlimited/how-to-prepare-for-high-altitude-treks-3cdaa7ab3795#.135tghjon
