Your upcoming Camino is on the horizon and it’s time to start preparing and getting ready for your Camino #2.
In the previous post we talked about improving your walking endurance. In this one we’d like to address strengthening other muscles, which can help reduce soreness and prevent injuries, especially around your ankles. Remember that you should always adapt the exercises described below to your own capacity and ability. If you are not comfortable doing an exercise, then drop it! Your aim is to improve your muscle tone, not to become an athlete.
Some Simple Fitness Exercises
- Get a resistance band to strengthen your gluteal muscles and help stabilise your knees and hips. One good exercise is to tie the resistance band around your legs, just above the knees and walk sideways while maintaining the band’s tension between your shins.
- Do basic crunches, squats and/or lunges to improve your balance and strength. Find a simple routine that works for you. Remember that your aim is to make your hike more enjoyable and prevent injuries.
- Any cardio exercise helps build your lung capacity, which means happier hiking. Treadmills and stationary bikes are great if you have access to them. Again, frequency and duration should increase gradually, if at all.
- If you are lucky to live by a beach, walking in sand is a good work out.
- Find an exercise routine adapted to you, and not the other way around. Here are some simple ones we like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=https://www.cicerone.co.uk/how-to-get-hill-fit-and-train-for-long-distance-walking&t=165s
