So, you’re hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu… Great decision!
Now, when’s the last time you exercised?!
The Inca Trail…I’m talking the Classic 4 Day / 3 Night, is listed as “moderate” in difficulty and truth be told, the hike isn’t all that bad…yeah, it is 26 miles of boot dragging fun, but it’s really the altitude that will get to you.
(More on that later)
However, if you’ve never hiked in your life or you spend the better part of a day sitting on the couch…then I highly recommend getting into an exercise regimen, well before you go. I’m talking about at least 3 months in advance.
My decision to ultimately hike the Inca Trail came after my decision that I wanted to see Machu Picchu. In talking with a friend, they had suggested that I should do the hike…and I immediately thought, well why the heck not! Now’s the time!
Once my mind was set on hiking and not just taking the train (aka the easy way), I then quickly delved into mad internet research on what to expect. I can’t even remember how many articles and videos I found on the subject. They all started to blend together, but the one thing that stood out was “endless steps.” And, ohhh…they weren’t kidding!
Here are some ways I got my butt (or more importantly, my quads) in shape for those endless stairs. I hope they help get you on your way to conquering the trail too!
1) STRENGTH BUILDING: Squats, Lunges, Step-ups…Repeat!
Yes, it’s all about those leg muscles, especially your quads! These three exercises are perfect for strength building.
SQUATS: This exercise works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
Proper form: Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart; keep weight in your heels…then squat down like you’re sitting in a chair.
Tip: Push your hips back when squatting down and don’t let your knees go over your toes.
LUNGES: This exercise targets the same muscles as squats.
Proper Form: Keeping your upper body straight, take a step forward with one leg, then lower your hips until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Don’t push your knee past your toes…that will cause injury.
STEP-UPS: This exercise is all about creating explosive leg power. You can easily do these with a step, bench, or sturdy chair.
Proper Form: Take your right foot and step up onto the bench or chair then bring your left foot to meet your right so your standing on the bench/chair. Then step down with the right foot, followed by the left and repeat.
2) INTERVAL TRAINING:
I love a good workout DVD…with VARIETY…and my go-to trainer these days is Jillian Michaels (not a paid endorsement…I just enjoy her style)! She really kicked my butt into gear for overall health with some High Intensity Interval Training. My favorite DVDs of hers are 30 Day Shred, Killer Buns, and Extreme Shed and Shred. Not only do they get your heart pumping, but they also incorporate all of the strength building mentioned earlier! However, there are a ton of awesome trainers out there, just find one that suits you the best.
3) TREADMILL:
Endurance is key! You’ll be hiking at least 6 miles a day, so the days are long, and you’d better be prepared. Probably best to begin with no incline and just increase your time. Try 30 minutes for a few days, then up it to one hour. Try to shoot for anywhere between 60-90 minutes on most days. After a week or so, then start inclining. I’d start with doing 10 minutes no incline followed by 5 or 10 minutes with full incline…then just do intervals of each for up to an hour.
Once you’ve put in some time with working up to full incline and lengthening your time on the treadmill then it’s time to kick it up a notch. Get the backpack you intend to take with you on your hike and fill it with items you’d most likely be carrying on the hike (and/or put some weights in, like 10 pounds). Repeat all of the above with your backpack on. If you’re at a gym, people may wonder, but seriously you are training for something that will be amazing…so forget them! HA!
4) BIKE & HIKE:
Get outside! I loved jumping on my bike and hitting the hills (going up of course). This was a great change of pace while still working on building leg strength. Then of course, hitting an actual hiking trail is only natural…after all you’ll need to break in those new hiking boots, right?! Be sure to hike with the backpack you intend to take (fully packed) and get used to the weight. As you might imagine, hiking with a full pack on rugged terrain is drastically different than on a treadmill.
I personally headed out to my nearest hiking trails at the Greenbrier State Forest to get in some actual “boots on the ground” hiking. I chose to do the Kate’s Mountain Trail as it provided some steep sections and really challenged my legs.
5) ALTITUDE:
This is the one thing you really can’t train for, unless you live in places where you have higher elevations and can train for the drastic change in elevation. However, exercising in general will help with your lung capacity, so don’t despair.
All you have to remember is that you CAN do it…and it’s not a race. Take the trail at your own pace. I found that counting and singing songs in my head helped a lot. Take a few steps, stop, breathe, repeat…and so forth, till I made it to the destination. Happy trails!
Oh, and if you ARE taking the train to get there…you will still want to build up those quads before you go, because there’s probably over 3,000 steps at the site alone.
To learn more about Altitude Sickness and ways to prepare for it – Click Here.
