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Getting Fit

Getting Fit


Postby Bastonjock » Sat Jan 01, 2022 4:57 pm

Hi guys

What do you do to keep fit in between hikes ? Ive been walking 6k every other day but today I did 18k over muddy ground
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby al78 » Sat Jan 01, 2022 5:40 pm

I must admit I don't. Earlier this year I went for double figure mileage walks with undulations, but there is no way of training for Scottish ridge walking when you live in SE England. I am going to have to take a few weekends away to Wales or the Lakes this year to get my hill fitness back before my holiday in Braemar.
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby WalkWithWallace » Sat Jan 01, 2022 6:57 pm

Not very much to be honest, local short walks and I cycle to work (13 miles a day) but that's down to twice a week due to the Covid situation.
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby AyrshireAlps » Sat Jan 01, 2022 7:08 pm

I run, although in the last year I've only ran half as much as I usually do, and haven't taken part in any hill races at all.

Hoping to get a place in the Jura fell race, that'll give me something to aim at.

I also find that lots of squats and lunges help immensely.
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby iain_atkinson_1986 » Sat Jan 01, 2022 9:12 pm

I worry more about ascent numbers than distance, to be honest. I'd tend to build up gradually to a 2, 000m + day by doing progressively more demanding routes rather than just try doing one out the gate which would be a bit of a killer. Obviously this applies to three-season conditions as daylight tends to determine most walkers' route choices in winter.

I usually do coastal walks when I'm not doing hills but don't think it really helps that much with hill fitness.
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby bartape » Sat Jan 01, 2022 10:16 pm

An authoritative & excellent text that will likely be of use to you is "Training for the New Alpinism: A Manual for the Climber as Athlete" by House & Johnston.

The book spells out the science behind what training to do and why to do it.

You can read it right through or skip to the bits that are of interest to what you do on the hills & mountains.

If you are looking for what I do to keep fit, then 6 to10 mlle runs every 2 to 3 days and squats 1 or 2 a week at my body weight seem to work for me.

Hillwalking seems to me to consist of long measured efforts whilst carrying a load up and down; train to cope with that and most hillwalking will be well within your capabilities.
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby weesmudge » Sat Jan 01, 2022 10:49 pm

I try and walk 10k everyday weather at work or walking the dog
If time allows I also try and get a session out in the shed on the turbo trainer great for the endurance aspect managed 28 mile on it last night in 1hr 40min
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby HighlandExplorer » Sun Jan 02, 2022 12:28 pm

I usually walk for 2-3 hours every day, varying terrain. A few upper body exercises several times a week; planks, pull up bars, dumbbells etc. That seems to be enough for me.
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby simon-b » Sun Jan 02, 2022 1:42 pm

You need endurance for hillwalking so cardio work is always good. Step, cycling indoor or outdoor, aerbics, etc. There's a lot of debate in fitness circles about steady state vs. high intensity interval cardio, but a bit of both shouldn't go amiss for hill fitness. Distance running will obviously help with stamina, but can cause joint issues for some people. Lower body strength and stability exercises are good for both leg power and injury prevention.

More generally, HighlandExplorer is right in that it's also worth putting in some upper body and core work for all round fitness. Lastly it's worth working on mobility and flexibility - perhaps stretching doesn't relieve muscle soreness like once believed, but it does help to maintain good range of motion. It might be worth foam rolling too.
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby Bastonjock » Sun Jan 02, 2022 2:15 pm

I think I need to look into the stretching exercises ,I've done another 12k this morning and my tendons are a bit sore ,I'm off to do another 12 k shortly the ground I'm walking over is very muddy ,I'm experimenting with different socks as well ,loosing a few kilos off of my waist might help as well , I'm not obese but feel that might help , I'm 63 and enjoying the walking very much
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby MusicalHiker » Sun Jan 02, 2022 4:04 pm

Gardening... and smaller walks, and yoga.
Luckily for me about an hour from Glen Affric, Torridon and the Cairngorms so manage some pretty decent walks quite often, even if they aren't all mountains! Most of my walks are low level, because of a lack of time, and also a husband who has a fear of heights....
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby Veryhappybunny » Sun Jan 02, 2022 6:03 pm

The best training for hills is definitely going up hills.

When I lived in the south of England I found the XBX exercise program made a surprising difference to my fitness, given it only takes 10 minutes a day.
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby Sgurr » Sun Jan 02, 2022 6:19 pm

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Re: Getting Fit

Postby Fiona Reid » Sun Jan 02, 2022 6:28 pm

I hillwalk or climb pretty much every weekend thus am usually fairly hill fit. I also do a wee bit of running and walk most days between 3 and 5km.
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Re: Getting Fit

Postby Veryhappybunny » Wed Jan 05, 2022 2:41 pm

Loved the trip reports, Sgurr, especially all the scenery either side of the routes.
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