Backpacking for a long distance is neither a walk in the park or being physical fit does not qualify you can endure the change in altitude above the sea level. For you to have a successful backpacking you should be physically and mentally prepared for the whole hiking adventure.
Then thus, the need for achieving both physical and mental strength and endurance to reduce the risks of sustaining injuries through different terrain, and withstand harsh climatic conditions with increase in altitude.
Since the oxygen level decreases with an increase in altitude, a workout plan would be vital to help in improving cardiovascular health, increase the lung volume and help increase the number of red blood cells to avoid hypoxia.
However, achieving strength and endurance are the only best solution that is not automatically achieved overnight but it takes time, patience, perseverance and eat well balanced diet to improve physical and mental health.
Therefore, a 3 month work plan and diet is slow, comfortable and enough for a beginner to be strong and resilient for a much smoother hiking adventure instead of embracing a too soon workout plan that can lead to complicated injuries.
Before, you draw a workout plan please ensure your starting point will not hurt you, but it should be per the individual physical fitness condition, slow and steady for you to arrive to the final mission.
Below is a workout rule to adhere for drawing the best workout plan that will help build strength and endurance both physically and mentally. These include:
• Choose a random workout exercise and sessions for gradual progress and employ different types of exercise every week or each day to unravel a wide range of benefits.
• Always mix strength and endurance exercise for greater benefit.
• Ensure you indulge body balance workout exercise to improve your stability and flexibility on the rugged terrain.
• Never forget to include aerobic exercise to improve cardiovascular health.
• Always incorporate a balanced diet to replenish the energy, promote healing of the broken muscle tissues, increase red blood cells and promote the overall wellbeing.
• You must include rest days once or twice a week depending on your schedule to allow your body to recover and adjust properly, but do not rest for two consecutive days.
• You must track your strength, endurance and vitals to monitor your progress and help you decide whether to increase or reduce your workout.
• Maintain your discipline when it comes to the workout time and the proposed diet.
• Always start with a warm up and cool down exercise to avoid injuries.
• Always stick to your workout plan.
• Above all, stay positive and always appreciate yourself because no one will appreciate your effort if you don’t, but don’t do it for approval or self-pity.
Below Is A Weekly Workout And Diet For Three Months Duration…
Week 1
Always begin with warm up exercise for about 5-10 minutes daily. Then follow with either swimming, running, walk with backpack weight, biking, or climbing stairs for cardiovascular exercise for about 30minutes.
Since you are a beginner, on your first day you opt for lightweight lifting like lifting your body, squats, planks, push-ups, step ups front/side/downs, rep and overhead press and mix with high intensity workout like KB swings to improve your strength and balance.
Ensure you rest twice a week and on each day you increase the number of sets while performing strengthening exercise after the first day from 1 to 3 while you can either reduce or increase the time for aerobic exercise {endurance} alternating it with days. On the resting day you can walk around but do not involve yourself into any vigorous activity.
Week 2
In the second week you will keep up with the first week workout technique which is aimed at enhancing strength, endurance, and balancing.
This is achieved by increasing the number of reps and sets, increasing the intensity and the time for the aerobic exercise. However, do not incorporate HIIT workout for two consecutive days and increase or reduce the time of aerobic exercise if you intend to do it daily.
Week 3
Now on week 3 you should put an emphasis on aerobic workout exercise while minimizing strength exercise. Therefore, increasing the duration for aerobic activity by 50% of the second week like swimming, climbing staircase and many.
During this week it is vital at least to engage yourself into HIIT exercise once in the middle of the week to break the barrier. However, you should increase the number of rep by 5 counts and the number of sets by 1.
Week 4
On week 4, the emphasis is on endurance and interval workout with increased aerobic activity and duration, okay. Instead of adding half of the time of the last week aerobic exercise time, we will add 30 minutes more for this week.
However, on the following day it is recommendable to reduce or increase the duration depending with the intensity you began the 4th week. Since, this week we have not emphasized on strength exercise we will alternate it with aerobic exercise, meaning we will have two aerobic sessions every day.
Remember, aerobic exercise could be running, swimming, climbing mountain with a backpack for about 2500-3500 ft., etc. On resting days performing balance exercise would do you great and help break the boredom.
Week 5
On week 5, the emphasis is on alternating aerobic with balance exercise while ensuring the activity and duration is increased than the previous week.
Meaning you will spend more time outdoors. However in the 5th week it is very ideal to perform strength exercise once a week for about 45 minutes and do balance exercise thrice a week for about 90-120 minutes as an alternative to aerobic exercise.
On resting days don’t be idle, you can weight train yourself to break the ice.
Week 6
Still on the 6th week you maintain the aerobic activity but you will concentrate on hiking and backpacking with weight. However, on this stage it is best and recommendable if concentrate on hiking and backpacking rather than swimming, biking or walking.
Therefore, as suggested, ensure you increase the aerobic activity and duration by either 30-45 minutes than the previous week. While climbing you can also practice balance exercise and the resting days you may decide idle because of the intensive hiking and backpacking activity.
Week 7
On the 7th week you should stress on strength exercise while increasing the number of reps and also incorporating with Yoga. The number of reps should double the reps of the third week while the set should remain constant like on the 4th week.
However, it is not good to suddenly break from aerobic activity, instead you should perform aerobic exercise for about 60-90 minutes twice with a heavy pack and balance exercise once in week 7.
Week 8
Now on the 8th week just call it a hassle free for you because you will do a lot of outdoor walk for about 3 hours and, light cardio activity for about an hour twice a week. In the middle of the 8th week you can do strength and balance exercise in equal intensity as week 7.
Week 9
On the 9th week we will focus on aerobic which you will employ both endurance and strengthening exercise. However, you should cater for a day in between the week to perform both endurance and strengthening activity for aerobic.
But the number of sets on strengthening activity should be reduced by one compared to week 8. While, on aerobic exercise duration it should be maintained between 60-90 minutes which you can decide for swimming, backpacking with weight, biking, walking or running and it should be done daily.
Week 10
On the 10th week put yourself into test by climbing a mountain that is above 4000ft elevation. I don’t care it will take you how many days but ensure the mission is done. This is to check if your body has adjusted to the mountain condition.
But before you embark into this journey, the first three days you can practice aerobic exercise for about 1hr to 3 hrs which could be walking, running, biking, swimming or climbing stairs. Then on the last two days spend it on hiking.
Week 11
After resting your body from hiking, resume with endurance and strength exercise at an equivalent rate of the 8th week to maintain the fitness, however, you should increase the duration for warming from 10-20 minutes to relieve the pain and inflammation that resulted from hiking.
Week 12
This is the last week of your three months hiking preparation. Therefore, it worth to rest for about 2-3 days before hiking and embark with aerobic activity for a maximum of 90 minutes while ensuring you completely cut off HIIT and balance workout.
Type Of Diet Plan for Long Distance Backpacking
Having the right diet for long distance backpacking adventure will greatly supply you with the required nutrients, minerals and energy so as to make hiking be easy and smooth.
The most recommended diet for backpacking should have high amount of calories to provide energy and protein for enhancing healing of the broken tissues from injuries and boost the production of red blood cells. However below is a guideline that will help you plan the type of diet you should eat at appropriate time.
Breakfast {morning}
In the morning when you are energetic the best meal or diet is the one that is rich in protein and calories to provide you with enough energy for working out until the next break. The other reason behind eating breakfast with high calories is to keep your blood sugar level in shape.
Lunch Time
When backpacking for a long distance during the afternoon towards afternoon hours your metabolism rate is high which in turn will require more calorie rich diet to provide energy for the entire adventure.
Therefore, you should consume calorie-rich diet that is lightweight to make you feel less burdened while performing both aerobic and strengthening exercise. Foods that are rich in high amount of calories but lightweight they include as follows:
• Wasabi peas
• Flavored almonds
• Avocado
• Cookies
• Caffeinated crystal light
• Chocolate covered espresso beans
• Candy (Snickers, Almond Joy, Paydays, Peanut M&Ms, etc.)
• Dried fruit, such as coconut, mango, and apples
• Wheat crackers or pita chips
• Chips (Fritos, Tim’s Cascades, Terra, etc.)
• Peanut butter
• Dried sausage
For Dinner
For supper, a diet that is well supplied with vitamin, protein and carbohydrate would be of great benefit for replenishing the lost energy during the day, keep your muscle healthy and strong and boost your immune system and improve the cardiovascular health for more endurance.
Lastly, do not forget to drink a lot of water to cub dehydration because backpacking is an intensive work out that requires your energy level to be on the higher level and without water you could facing a life threatening workout activity.