Fitness Makes Your Trekking Experience Better

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How trekking changed the course of fitness in Nandini’s life 

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It’s a serious mistake to not prepare for your trek after signing up for it. Unfortunately, 30-40% of trekkers make this mistake every year.

Three years ago, we even faced a ‘fitness faking epidemic,’ where trekkers who were not fit resorted to faking their fitness screenshots to get approved for the trek. Some trekkers still do it. 

In such a scenario, there is a simple thing that trekkers don’t understand. 

You sacrifice a lot to sign up for a trek —money, time, and so much thought and planning. You do it to enjoy trekking and being in nature.

But just putting thought, money, and time into registering is not enough. The reality is — YOU WON'T ENJOY THE TREK IF YOU ARE NOT FIT. 

Trekking is very different from going on walks. Walking long distances on a road or in a garden cannot be compared to climbing a mountain or a pass. On treks, you are continuously ascending and descending on uneven terrain. This takes strength and endurance. It becomes more difficult when you are doing it at a high altitude (above 9000 ft). 

Three things happen when you are not fit:

You miss out on a deep transformative experience that trekking can offer

This is why it’s important to be fit for a trek. Good part is, it’s not difficult. All you need to do is  start following a fitness routine 30-45 days before the trek begins. 

A common question —  I have no trek experience. Will I be able to trek just by following the fitness routine?

Yes. Trekking is a sport that primarily uses your lungs, your core, and your lower body. Prior experience matters only for difficult treks. For all other treks, good fitness is key.

To reach this fitness, there are just two things to work on — your cardiovascular endurance and your muscle strength. 

Running works your lungs and lower body, while basic strength training using your own body weight like planks and push-ups makes your core stronger. 

These exercises when done consistently over a period of time will yield tremendous results and make your trek ready by the end of the training plan. Thousands of trekkers have benefited from this simple routine. 

Before you start on your fitness journey, find out where you stand:

At Indiahikes, we look at it like this - there are four levels of fitness when you’re on a trek.

➤ Level 1 is not preparing for a trek at all. It’s appalling but it is true that there are umpteen trekkers who go to the mountains with zero preparation. Since we at Indiahikes are extremely strict about fitness, we don’t see too many in this category. But in the mountains, there is a discernible difference between our trekkers and others, especially when others are at Level 0.

➤ Level 2 is being just about fit to manage to complete the trek. You struggle a bit, but not much. You make it to the top (from our experience most trekkers achieve this fitness level).

➤ Level 3 is being fit enough to enjoy your trek. You don’t feel exertion or pay attention to your body. You have enough time to absorb the surroundings and make conversations while trekking (around 10% of our trekkers achieve this).

➤ Level 4 is when you are fit enough to comfortably face bad weather conditions, and trek that extra mile through snow and rain. Most trekkers who achieve this level of fitness are stoic about the weather, they accept it and embrace it (very few trekkers achieve this level of fitness).

Why Running Is The Best Exercise To Get Fit For A Trek (Vs Swimming and Cycling)

Many trekkers ask us if they can go swimming or cycling instead of running to get fit for a trek.   

In this video, Co-Founder of Indiahikes, Sandhya Chandrasekharayya, shares why running is the best exercise to get fit for a trek, especially compared to swimming and cycling.   

While both of them are great endurance builders, running / jogging focuses on the same muscles you use while trekking, she says.

We’ve observed that trekkers going on tough treks like Kedartal, Rupin Pass, Buran Ghati, Warwan Valley, instinctively aim to reach Level 3. These are usually trekkers who have trekked in the Himalayas before. They understand the challenges of trekking in high altitude. 

But most others, especially trekkers who are preparing to go for easy-moderate treks, reach just Level 1. This could happen if you are undermining the challenges on the easy-moderate treks or have not trekked before. In such cases, a common mistake is to think that bad weather and emergencies don’t occur on easier treks.

You must know emergencies can occur even on the easiest treks. We are dealing with the Himalayas at very high altitudes. The weather is never predictable; it could rain or snow at any time.

So no matter what trek you’re going on, target being at the peak of your fitness. Aim at Level 3. 

If you have found this guide helpful or know of any more exercises that could help build the required strength and endurance for Himalayan treks, feel free to drop in your thoughts in the comments section below.

This article tells you how to get fit for your Himalayan Trek. Whether you are trekking for the first time or are an experienced trekker, there is a training plan for everyone.

How to Get Fit for Your Trek - The Ultimate Fitness Guide 2022

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Why Fitness is Important for Your High Altitude Trek

Gidara Bugyal

Kuari Pass Trek

Phulara Ridge Trek

Aancha Top Trek

Pin Bhaba Pass Trek

Valley of Flowers

Goechala Trek

Hampta Pass Trek

Bodpathri Trek

Roopkund Trek

Bhrigu Lake Trek

Deoriatal Chandrashila Trek

Everest Base Camp (Classic Route) 

Bijli Mahadev Trek

Har Ki Dun

Dayara Bugyal Trek

Miyar Valley

Beas Kund Trek

Chandrakhani Pass Trek

Sandakphu Phalut Trek 

Brahmatal Trek

Kedarkantha Summer Camp Trek

Everest Base Camp via Gokyo Ri Trek

Manali Kaisdhar Trek for Beginners

Bananthimari Betta Trek

Warwan Valley Trek

Buran Ghati Trek

Minchukallu Betta Weekend Trek

Gaumukh Tapovan Trek

Bali Pass Trek

Chhattisgarh Jungle Trek

Kedartal Trek

Nag Tibba Weekend Trek

Pench Tiger Trail

Georgia Atsunta Pass Trek

Khopra Ridge Trek

Mount Rinjani Trek

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek 

Gurez Valley Trek

Nafran Valley Trek

Tulian Lake Trek

Pir Panjal Lakes Trek 

Kedarkantha Trek

Choharnag Lakes Trek

Tarsar Marsar Trek

Surya Top

Narmada Backwaters Trek

Ali Bedni Bugyal Trek 

Pangarchulla Peak Trek

Coorg Nelji Hill Trek

Ranthan Kharak Trek

Channarayana Durga Weekend Trek 

Gokarna Coastal Trek

Rupin Pass

Brammah Valley Trek

Dayara Bugyal Summer Camp 

Odisha Debrigarh Sanctuary Trek

Goa Netravali Forest Trek

Kuari Pass Summer Camp Trek

Kodaikanal Avocado Hill Trek

Mural Danda Exploration

arnamalai trek

Deoban Weekend Trek

Vellore Amirthi Forest Trek

Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Winter Trekking Camp for Children

Youth Camp on Ali Bedni Bugyal

Benog Tibba Family Trek

Kanamo Peak Trek

Dafeybhir Pass Trek

Biligundlu Cauvery River Trek

Ghepan Lake

Mount Kilimanjaro Trek

Chirbatiya Weekend Trek

Benog Tibba Trek

Ala-Kul Trek - Kyrgyzstan

Gutirayan Peak Trek

Bidirukatte Trek

Pyramid Hills Trek

Koilkonda Fort Trek

Valle Malai Trek

Ramdevarabetta Trek

Sathuragiri Hill Trek

Ettina Bhuja Trek

Musattu Hill Trek

Parvathamalai Trek

Satpura Forest Trail

Bagini Glacier Trek

Dhodap Fort Trek

Seoj Dhar – Kailash Kund Trek

Prashar Lake Trek

Siraj Valley Trek

Brahmagiri Range Trek

Sindola Fort Trek

Bhubhu Pass Trek

Athri Hill Trek

Nandi Hills Trek

Handi Gundi Trek

Kumara Parvatha Trek

Nishani Motte Trek

Fitness is one of the most important criteria you should consider before going on a trek! A fit trekker can get a lot more from a trek as compared to someone who isn’t physically fit!

With over a decade-long experience of taking trekkers for a high-altitude trek, a big worry for many of them is physical fitness. Steep climbs, rough terrain, walking in snow, all of these can be daunting. 

But the good news is they can all be tackled with prior training. 

At Indiahikes, we insist that all our trekkers train for at least two months before going on a trek. In fact, I have observed that we are known for our strict fitness requirements. That’s a minimum prerequisite to have a good experience. However, many trekkers could be short on time as well, for which I’ve shared a separate routine below.

This is a complete training guide so that by the end of it, you’ll know exactly where you stand and what you need to work on when you sign up for your first Himalayan trek.

Before getting into how you achieve fitness, let’s answer why you need to be fit.

On a high-altitude trek, you are gaining altitude with every step you take. With the altitude gain, the oxygen available in the air also decreases. Which means your heart has to do more work with less oxygen. That’s not easy. You need cardiovascular training to be able to manage these constant climbs comfortably.

Along with it, add some strength and flexibility training.

Here’s the guide for you! Let’s get started. 

While you can have an elaborate training plan for your trek, you need to focus on primarily two aspects:

Let’s start with cardiovascular endurance

Any high-altitude trek requires you to build a good amount of cardiovascular endurance. 

Since 2016, we have been asking trekkers to train by jogging, and it has shown us brilliant results.

We tell them to target jogging 5 km in 30 minutes. 

This averages around 6 minutes per kilometre, which is a respectable speed. If you achieve this much speed, you can comfortably do an easy-moderate Himalayan trek. 

Phase 1 (when you have around 2 months to your trek)

Start with the slowest jog possible by you. Look to see the maximum distance that you can cover without feeling overly fatigued. We call this the starting distance. 

The next day, look to increase 0.25 km over the starting distance. Do not worry about the time taken. Use a running app like Strava or Nike Run Club to track your run.

On the subsequent day, add another 0.25 km over the last distance covered. Again, do not worry about the time taken. Continue the incremental increase of distance for 4 days in a row. 

On the 5th day, take a break. Allow your muscles to recover.

From the sixth day onward, jog for 4 days continuing to increase your distance by 0.25 km every day. Take a break every 5th day. Do not worry about the time being taken. 

When you are able to get to a distance of 5 km, note the time taken to cover the distance. This is your starting time. At this stage, you must be able to cover 5 km, even if with some exhaustion. 

The next day, look to see if you can reduce your time by 15 seconds.

Over the next few days, reduce the time taken by 15 seconds every day. Continue with your breaks every 5th day. 

An ideal benchmark is to cover 5 km in 30 minutes (averaging 6 mins per kilometre). If you are above 40 years old, then 5 km in 32 and half minutes would be your benchmark (average of 6.30 mins per km).

Yes, we have seen our trekkers able to build this endurance from scratch starting from zero in about 30 days.  
Tip: Join a running group in your city. Running groups have mushroomed all over the country. You will find one close to your home. Running groups have systematic beginner programs that are of immense help. It also helps you to be part of a group and lose the inertia that people have about training.

Any high-altitude trek requires you to cover steep inclines. This could be while ascending or descending. The terrain could be rough as well, sometimes with snow. 

To manage yourself well in such conditions you need good leg strength as well as a strong core. 

Squats are the best way to build leg strength quickly. Especially your thighs, glutes and knees.

Start with 12 squats. This is one set. Learn how to do a proper squat by looking up online tutorials. 

Once you are comfortable with a set of 12 squats (this may take 3-4 days), take a break of 2 minutes and start on your second set of squats. Start your second set with only 2 squats. So your set one will have 12 squats and set two will have only 2 squats, totalling 14 squats.

Every day, increase your squats in the second set by 2. So the next day you are doing one set of 12, with a 2-minute break and then another 4, totalling 16. 

Take a break every 4 days for your muscles to recover.

You must be able to do 2 full sets of 12 squats each comfortably in 15-18 days.

Try to get to 3 sets of squats before your trek starts.

For strengthening your core, there’s no better exercise than Planks and Hip Raises. Both of them are very common exercises. 


In this guide, we have kept away from giving you complex exercises or workouts. We have stuck to what is practical and doable. 

Please note: Any form of exercise requires you to stretch and warm up first. Do not do any cardio or strength training with a cold body.  

Sometimes you may join a trekking group late -- less than 30 days to the trek start date. This puts an enormous pressure on the training schedule. 

In such a situation, you need to start training without losing a day’s delay. You need to compress the training schedule so that it can quickly get you to the cardiovascular threshold of being able to cover 5 km in 30 minutes. 

Increase the jogging distance by 0.5 km every day instead of the 0.25 suggested earlier. 

The next day, look to increase 0.50 km over the starting distance. Do not worry about the time being taken. Use a running app like Nike Run Club to track your distance.

The subsequent day, add another 0.50 km over the last distance covered. Again, do not worry about the time being taken.

Continue the incremental increase of distance for 4 days in a row. On the 5th day take a break. Allow your muscles to recover. 

From the sixth day onward, jog for 4 days continuing to increase your distance by 0.5 km every day. Take a break every 5th day. Do not worry about the time being taken. 

When you are able to get to a distance of 5 km, note the time taken to cover the distance. This is your starting time. At this stage, you will be able to cover 5 km with considerable exhaustion but it is ok. 

Over the next few days maintain this distance until your trek starting day. Allow your body to get used to the stress of jogging. This preparation is crucial for the success of your trek

An ideal benchmark is to cover 5 km in 30 minutes (averaging 6 mins per kilometre). If you are above 40 years old, then 5 km in 32 mins would be your benchmark (avg of 6.30 mins per km) 

At Indiahikes we believe that getting fit for a trek enhances your trek experience. Here is a training guide to get trek fit!

Tips To Get Fit For Your Trek

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