Getting fit for a trek is intimidating. You might not know what goals to set and how to reach them. That is why we designed three trek-specific workout guides for you.

Complete the guide over the course of one month. With each week your muscles will shape up and get ready for the steep ascents and descents of the Himalayas!

Save these images for easy access when you’re working out.

Before we get into the schedule you should follow, once you start your trek fitness, it’s easy to just focus on the runs. This happens with many trekkers. Many times, strength training gets sidelined. This is why we have consciously incorporated strength training into your trek fitness routine.

Save these images for easy access when you’re working out.

Before we get into the schedule you should follow, once you start your trek fitness, it’s easy to just focus on the runs. This happens with many trekkers. Many times, strength training gets sidelined. This is why we have consciously incorporated strength training into your trek fitness routine. 

Table of Content:
 Stretching and strengthening exercises for your trek
 Fitness plan for easy-moderate treks
 Fitness plan for moderate treks
 Fitness plan for moderate-difficult treks
 Fitness plan for difficult treks
 How children can get fit for a high-altitude trek

Stretching and strengthening exercises for your trek

Stretching and Strengthening Exercises for Your Trek

The key to avoiding injuries on your fitness journey is to start by stretching. Here are some videos to help you get started.

Fitness plan for easy-moderate treks

5-6 km each day | Gradual ascents and descents | Max. altitude about 12,500 ft.

There are no technical sections on these treks, but there could be small sections of steep gradients or tricky patches that require you to be surefooted.

Refer this chart to plan your fitness routine for easy-moderate treks

- Keep the distance of your run/walk to just 2 km (Week 1), 3 km (Week 2), 4 km (Week 3), and 5 km (Week 4) on running days. Do not increase the distance.

- For Strength Training, do at least 10 repetitions and 3 sets of all the exercises mentioned.

- Take your rest days seriously, and rest. Your body recovers quickly when you rest.

- When you climb stairs, target for at least 15 floors (20 stairs per floor), and repeat it for 3 sets.

- Once you can comfortably run 5 km, the following weeks are focused on building speed.

- On every run day except when you run easy, run 5 km with an intention to finish within 38 minutes. Do not worry if you are not there yet. You will get there by the end of Week 8.

- Strength Training days will be the same as the previous 4 weeks. If you can easily do 10 repetitions and 3 sets of each exercise, increase your repetitions to 15 or 20 in each set.

- For stair climbing, add an 8-10 kg backpack and climb for the next 4 weeks.

What is a repetition and a set? Repetition is the number of times you repeat the workout. A Set is a combination of repetitions, usually performed three or more times during the workout session. For example, doing 10 push-ups, 3 times (10x3=30 push-ups) will constitute 10 repetitions and 3 sets.

Fitness plan for moderate treks

6-8 km each day | The ascents and descents could get steep | Max. between 13,000 ft to 14,000 ft.

You’ll come across tricky patches frequently (like snow or scree), which require you to navigate with a certain amount of caution. There might also be small stream/river crossings.

Refer this chart to plan your fitness routine for moderate treks

To elaborate further, here is an easy plan for you to follow:

- On every run day except when you run easy, run 5 km with an intention to finish within 35 minutes. Do not worry if you are not there yet. You will get there by the end of Week 8.

Fitness plan for moderate-difficult treks

Fitness Plan for Moderate-Difficult Treks

8-12 km each day | Gradual to steep ascents and descents | Max. altitudes of 15,000+ ft.

Expect technical sections (such as rockfall zones, near-vertical sections, glacier walks), which our technical teams will help you navigate.

Refer this chart to plan your fitness routine for moderate-difficult treks

- Keep the distance of your run/walk to just 3 km (Week 1), 4 km (Week 2), and 5 km (Week 3 onwards) on running days. Do not increase the distance.

- On every run day except when you run easy, run 5 km with an intention to finish within 32 minutes. Do not worry if you are not there yet. You will get there by the end of Week 8.

Fitness plan for difficult treks

12-20 km each day | Extremely steep ascents and descents | Max. altitudes till 19,000+ ft.

Technical sections (such as rockfall zones, near-vertical sections, glacier walks, boulder and scree sections) are an everyday affair. Some sections can only be crossed with the help of our Technical Staff.

Difficult treks are the most demanding, which is why we take only those trekkers with prior trekking experience on them. 

To do a difficult trek, target running 10 km within 60 minutes consistently. This will be possible only if you can run 5 km within 30 minutes comfortably before signing up for a difficult trek.

This fitness chart will help you get there by following the plan for 8 weeks (or 2 months) before the start of your trek.

You will receive a questionnaire asking for your current fitness level and high altitude experience. Only those who have prior high altitude trekking experience will be allowed to sign up for difficult treks.

Refer this chart to plan your fitness routine for difficult treks

- Keep the distance of your run/walk to just 5 km (Week 1), 7 km (Week 2), 10 km (Week 3 onwards) on running days. Do not increase the distance.

- Once you can comfortably run 10 km, the following weeks are focused on building speed.

- On every run day except when you run easy, run 10 km with an intention to finish within 60 minutes. Do not worry if you are not there yet. You will get there by the end of Week 8.

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

In such a situation, 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 40 minutes.

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

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

The next day, look to increase 0.50 km over the starting distance. Do not worry about the time being taken.

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.

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 40 minutes (averaging 8 minutes per kilometer). If you are above 40 years old, then 5 km in 45 minutes would be your benchmark (avg of 9 minutes per km)

The minimum you must aim to do if you are short on time is be able to jog for 4 km in 32 minutes. This is minimum but not ideal. The longer distance you cover, the more endurance you get.

How children can get fit for a high-altitude trek

How Children Can Get Fit for a High-Altitude Trek

We've noticed that many families have started stepping out on high altitude treks with their children. It's a heartening trend! 

But if your child has not trekked in the Himalayas, or locally, or has not been physically very active then you must watch these videos.

Preparing for a trek can be intimidating. We have designed three trek specific guides to help you with your trek fitness.

Trek Fitness Guide for Himalayan High Altitude Treks by Indiahikes

A Complete Trek Fitness Guide for Himalayan High Altitude Treks - From Easy to Difficult Treks

Winters in the Himalayas are brutal. Yet, it's a magical time to be on a trek.

In this season, the key to enjoying a trek is to prepare well for it. This is important because tiny slip-ups like not layering up on time, not carrying a thermos, can make you suffer. 

"I've suffered on a winter trek for little things. Like forgetting my liner gloves, or my lip balm, or -- and this is a big one -- my sunglasses!" shares Lakshmi Selvakumaran, Head of Experience at Indiahikes. 

Unfortunately, little things slip our minds easily. With our winter treks around the corner, I’m making a comprehensive guide for you on how to prepare for a Himalayan winter trek. These are the topics I’m going to cover: 

How difficult is trekking in winter going to be

Some hard realities of trekking in winter

Biggest misconceptions about trekking in winter

9 bonus tips about trekking gears in winter

Bookmark this page right away, so that you can use it and share it further any time. 

How Difficult Is Trekking In Winter Going To Be

Let’s address the biggest worry first. 

How difficult is it to trek in winter in the Himalayas? “Is it too difficult for beginners?” is something we get asked almost everyday.  

The simple answer is no, it is not too difficult for beginners. But it is more difficult than non-winter seasons. 

Trekking becomes at least one grade more difficult in winter because of two added difficulties — (1) The negative temperatures (2) The presence of snow. 

The good news is that it is easy to tackle these two problems, even for beginners.

You'll find some of the great winter treks listed in this video.

The mantra is to carry enough layers. With layers, whether you’re from a sweltering Chennai or a humid Mumbai, you’ll be able to tackle a Himalayan winter. 

Here’s the trick. Carry five warm layers — a pair of thermals for the night, two sweaters, one fleece jacket and one padded jacket. Along with these you need warm accessories — a woollen cap, gloves, woollen socks (for the night) and a neck warmer.

With these, you can deal with the coldest night with no worries. (I’m going to address all of these layers in detail further down)

The infographic depicts how to layer up for a Himalayan winter trek.

At this point, it is also important to know 'when' is the right time to layer up. 

"Many trekkers make this rookie mistake of not layering up immediately after completing their day's trek," points Suhas Saya, Head of DIY Treks at Indiahikes. After the trek your body is warmed up. You are not feeling cold. But that's precisely when you need to start putting on your layers. 

"On a trek your body is exerting, it's generating heat so you don't need the layers. But after the trek, your body starts cooling down. It starts losing heat. To prevent this, you need to layer up, get into something dry quickly after you finish your day's trek. This helps in retaining your core body heat," shares Suhas. 

In most other seasons, when you trek, you walk on bare land, footstep after footstep with no worries. 

In winter though, once you reach a certain altitude (usually above 9,000 ft), there’s no more bare land. All your footsteps are in snow. 

This becomes challenging when the snow is above ankle-deep. Your foot sinks in and it takes effort to pick it up and put your next step forward. There are a few ways to tackle this presence of snow.

The layer of snow is thin during December. But as winter progresses -- in January, February and initial March -- the layer of snow thickens. During these months, it helps to keep the following things in mind. 

1. Start your trek before the sun rises. This is an age-old trick that all mountaineers and trekkers follow. Any walking in snow should be done as early in the day as possible, much before the sun rises. This is because during the night, in the negative temperatures, snow becomes hard and packed. It’s easy to walk on hard, packed snow. Your feet don’t sink.

Note: You do need equipment like microspikes attached to your shoes that help you grip the hard snow. On your Indiahikes trek, this equipment will be issued at the camp.

But as the sun comes out, the snow begins to soften and melt. This is when your foot sinks into the snow.

So ideally, start your summit climb (where the snow is highest) by 5 am. Aim at wrapping up your day before noon.

2. Walk on a trail left behind by previous trekkers: One of the biggest dangers of walking on snow is not knowing how deep the snow is. It’s what makes more trekkers unstable and afraid of walking in snow.

But here’s a tip. Almost always, when you’re trekking in winter, there will be a discernible path ahead of you. This is where trekkers have previously walked on the trail and made a path. It’s easiest to walk on this trail.

Even when you’re trekking in a file, it’s best to step into the footsteps of the previous trekker. Every footstep creates a small niche in the snow, which you can step into knowing the depth and gradient of the slope. This ensures you never lose balance or stability while walking in snow.

Always put your foot in the previous trekker’s footstep. This way, you walk on an already laid-out path, without losing balance or stability. Picture by Vishwas Krishnamurthy

3. Use microspikes and gaiters. If you’re trekking with Indiahikes, we will be providing you with microspikes and gaiters to attach to your shoes. You will get these just before you step into snow. Microspikes give you Spiderman-like grip on snow. Gaiters cover up the opening of your shoes, not allowing snow to enter your shoes. This keeps your feet dry and comfortable.

4. Work extra hard on your fitness. It’s no secret that trekking in snow is going to be more tiring than trekking without snow. Which is why you cannot underestimate your fitness preparation. We’ll address this further down.

On any of Himalayan winter treks, be it Kedarkantha, Brahmatal, Deoriatal – Chandrashila, Dayara Bugyal, the temperatures drop to negative numbers.

They can drop as low as -10 °C after sundown. Just after a rain / snowfall, it’s coldest (although, interestingly, it isn’t as cold during a snowfall). 

But on average, on a winter trek expect daytime temperatures to be roughly between 8 °C and 15 °C. This means during the day, you can usually trek wearing just one, or a maximum of two layers. 

The nighttime temperatures are likely to be between 3°C to -5°C. Any time after sundown, you need all your layers on. That is at least five warm layers.

Here is a list of all the gear you need on a winter trek. As a thumb rule, wear a minimum of 5 layers on winter treks. What we’ve mentioned below are the layers we recommend. You could mix and match; you could also carry another extra layer if you’re more prone to feeling cold.

Apart from these prominent gears, it's wise to carry two kinds of gloves -- One water-proof glove and one thick fleece-liner glove. "Trekkers usually make the big mistake of carrying just either of these. But both serve different purposes and save you from cold at different times of the trek," says Akshay Upreti who leads the Rental Division at Indiahikes. 

"You'll need the water-proof glove during the trek, when you are on the trail, where you may encounter snow but also need your hand to be protected against the biting cold. On the other hand, you'll need the fleece-liner glove in the later half of the day, when you are at the campsite. At the campsite, when the sun is setting, the synthetic water-proof glove won't be able to protect you from the cold. That's when fleece liner gloves come to your rescue," Akshay shares. 

Similarly don't forget your warm, thick woollen socks. "They are not an absolute necessity, but they make you feel really comfortable at night on a cold winter trek," Lakshmi offers. 

In the video above, you'll find strong directions on how to go about shopping for winter layers. 

One thing to keep in mind is that trekking in winter is one grade tougher than trekking in non-winter. 

For example, a Kedarkantha trek, which is “easy-moderate” in all other seasons, becomes “moderate” in winter. 

You must start your preparation at least 1.5 – 2 months before your trek. You must start your preparation at least 1.5 – 2 months before your trek. You must start your preparation at least 1.5 – 2 months before your trek. Target running a distance of 5 km within 40 minutes. 

Having spoken to many trekkers about this, I notice they are worried about achieving this level of fitness. The worry is usually among beginners, or elderly trekkers or even those trekking with children. 

So I’m going to give you a very simple fitness routine that works. 

Start by running just 1 or 2 km everyday. Concentrate purely on the distance, trying to increase it bit by bit every day. Do this until you hit the 5 km mark. 

Once you are able to run 5 km, start paying attention to the timing. Try to reduce it just by a few seconds every day until you can bring it down to 40 minutes. 

This kind of preparation takes time, which is why you must plan your trek at least 2 months in advance. 

A question you must not ask: What will Indiahikes do if I cannot meet this target? 

Frankly speaking, it doesn’t matter what Indiahikes says about your fitness. It matters how YOU fare on the trek. This is the level of fitness the trek demands. If you’re not able to meet this mark, you’ll struggle through your trek. That will suck out all the fun of a winter trek in snow. 

There are a few other reasons why winter treks demand more fitness compared to other seasons. The section below will show you.

Some hard realities of trekking in winter 

There are two hard realities of trekking in winter that take trekkers by surprise. But these are realities you need to be prepared for and take in your stride. 

Be ready for changes in routes / campsites:

Many a time, we have to change routes and campsites on winter treks. There are quite a few reasons for this — sudden snowfall may make a campsite inaccessible, forcing us to move to another campsite; water sources may freeze up at certain campsites; some sections of trails may get buried under chest-deep snow; Under such circumstances, it is normal to change routes and campsites, moving to a more compatible route.

Possibility of bad weather is part of the sport:

Although bad weather occurs just once or twice a month, it is highly unpredictable. In case of heavy snowfall or rainfall, your Trek Leader may take the decision to stay put at a certain camp as a safety protocol. In such cases, you may skip a certain camp, or cover the extra distance the next day. These are tweaks in your itinerary that you must be prepared for.

Given that we have been running winter treks for over ten years, we have heard so many myths that we can fill a book! 

Some of these myths will take you by surprise. Some others, you may empathise with, and some could be dangerous if they are truly believed. If you believe in any of these myths, it’s time to bust them. 

9 Bonus tips about trekking gear in winter

You’ll need a good pair of trekking shoes with ankle support and good grip. Our recommendation is to rent a good pair of trekking shoes from the Indiahikes Rental store. If you wish to buy a trekking shoe, then a regular trekking shoe like the MH100 will do. Note: Sports shoes will not work on a winter trek. They neither offer the ankle support nor the grip.

2. What about sunglasses if you wear Spectacles?

You can get oversized sunglasses that you wear over your regular glasses (available at Decathlon). If that is cumbersome, photochromic lenses work equally well. Here’s a quick guide on managing sunglasses with spectacles.

Read more about using sunglasses with spectacles

If you use contact lenses, you can use them on the trek too. The lens solution will not freeze. You will also not face any problems in changing your lens in your tent. Just carry enough cleaning solution with you to clean your fingers well. Wear your sunglasses over your contact lens.

Read more about contact lenses vs spectacles

As Indians, we love cotton. Down in the plains when the heat is a blistering 40°C it makes sense to wear cotton. But it takes a long time to dry when it gets wet. In the mountains, where it is cold, wear synthetic clothes. They wick sweat rapidly when you’re trekking and keep you dry. (But they do tend to smell sometimes, so carry a roll-on deodorant with you.)

5. Down Jacket or Polyfill Padded Jacket?

We would recommend going for a polyfill padded jacket. It’s more durable, it’s less trouble maintaining it, and it usually comes with a water-resistant layer with a hood. Down jackets rarely come with hoods, and are high-maintenance jackets. Watch this video for more input on these two layers.

Go for pants with zippered pockets. They come in handy to keep your phone, handkerchief or pocket snacks, making sure none of these slip out of your pockets while climbing.

Get the ultimate guide on how to choose the right trekking pants

Stretchable track pants make a good backup and can double up as your thermal bottoms. But track pants are not trek pants — so don’t use them as your main outerwear. Keep them only as a backup.

Here, again, avoid cotton pants in winter. You’re going to be trekking in snow and perhaps sliding in snow. If your pants get wet, they need to dry quickly. So synthetic materials work best.

9. Additional Useful Accessories in Winter

A thermos flask (To keep your water warm) 

Steel and not plastic cutlery (steel is easier to wash)

Petroleum jelly to tackle dry skin and lips

That brings us to the end of this post on how to prepare for a winter trek. At the end of it all, it boils down to two basic things — your fitness and your gear. 

Follow the tips we have shared. Work on your fitness for a minimum of 45 days before your trek. On another note, carry a minimum of 5 warm layers. 

If you can take care of these two areas, you will have a good winter trek without fail.  

If you have any questions, drop in a comment below. 

Preparation plays a crucial role on a winter trek. Even a small slip-up and lead to an extremely uncomfortable experience in the extreme temperatures. This blogs lists all details that are required to help you prepare well for a winter trek

How to Prepare For a Himalayan Winter Trek - All You Need To Know

How to Prepare for a Himalayan Winter Trek - All You Need to Know

In December of 2019, Gaurav headed for his first high-altitude trek to Kedarkantha — overweight, underprepared, and with a BMI that was way above normal. He barely made it to the first campsite before his legs gave up on him, and he had to take the decision of returning home. 

Dejected but determined, Gaurav joined a gym and worked out with unflinching focus. In October 2020, a little less than a year after the Kedarkantha incident, Gaurav summited Brahmatal Top. He was 10 kilos lighter, 4 points lower on the BMI scale, and a lot stronger.

Gaurav worked on his fitness for one whole year after facing health issues on the Kedarkantha trek. He came back to do the Brahmatal trek in Oct’2020.

Unfortunately, the first half of Gaurav’s story is what we end up seeing more frequently than we’d like. 

Given the sedentary lifestyles that many trekkers have been leading due to the lockdown, a sizable number of trekkers have higher BMIs and poor fitness levels. The result is that they are either unable to complete the trek or find it too hard. 

So in this article, we want to share some observations about why BMI matters and what you can do if you have a high BMI. 

Having a high BMI by itself does not affect your trekking performance. What matters is your fitness levels. We have had many trekkers with high BMI successfully complete treks with adequate preparation. 

Having a high BMI, especially when you’re overweight, affects your trek in three ways: 

1. It makes you more susceptible to AMS 

Your body goes through all kinds of changes when it is on a high-altitude trek. 

Your lungs and heart start to work harder as altitude increases. As altitude increases, the air pressure decreases, which means that there is a lower concentration of oxygen in the air. 

Consequently, there’s less oxygen in your blood. Your body tries to make up for this decrease in oxygen. Your heart starts pumping faster and your breathing also becomes faster. 

This is something that happens to every single trekker, regardless of weight.

But here’s where BMI makes a difference. 

If your high BMI is a reflection of being overweight or poor fitness levels, it will affect your body much worse. 

Sandhya UC, the co-founder of Indiahikes, puts it in perspective. She says, “Any physical activity that you do on a high altitude trek is going to be 5 times tougher than when you do it normally. When you have a high BMI, you are exerting a lot more. You will consume a lot of oxygen that is circulating in your blood. That makes you highly susceptible to altitude sickness.” 

For more on the effects of high altitude on your body, click here.

2. You are more injury-prone, especially while descending 

The other aspect to consider is the load your legs have to carry. Every gram counts when you are trekking, and that includes your body weight too. 

“Ankle and knee injuries are a lot more common if you haven’t worked on your muscles. And individuals with higher BMI are at greater risk of facing injuries if they go for a trek without preparation,” points out Sandhya.

Additionally, climbing uphill or downhill can get particularly challenging when carrying extra body weight. “We’re noticing an increasing trend of people opting to offload their backpacks because they’re not fit enough. This is not good for trekking,” says Suhas Saya, the head of Experience Coordinators at Indiahikes. 

Individuals with higher BMI are at greater risk of facing injuries. Picture by Nirantharajith.

This is something that is tough to quantify.

Being fit and ready for a trek exponentially enhances your entire experience and allows you to absorb the sights and sounds around you. 

On the other hand, when you’re ill-prepared and struggling through the trek, you don’t have the energy to take in the views or be together with the team. You’re constantly lagging behind, trekking with just the sweeper, and you’re always wondering when will this end?

It defeats the very purpose of heading out for what could potentially be an incredibly transformative experience.  

Our Head of Content, sums it up through her own personal experience in this post. 

Having said that, we’ll talk about what you can do if you have a high BMI. 

1. I have a high BMI. Can I sign up for a trek?

The simple, straightforward answer is — Yes, you can. 

While a high BMI can indicate high body fat, it does not necessarily reflect an individual’s health or fitness level. 

We have, however, noticed that those with a higher than normal BMI tend to be overweight and have poor fitness levels. In such cases, the importance of having a good fitness routine and sticking to it consistently cannot be overemphasized. 

At Indiahikes, we recommend you have a BMI of 26 or less if you are signing up for any of our treks. 

However, if your BMI number is over what we have mentioned, we suggest you speak to our Experience Coordinators as early as possible to discuss how to get trek-ready.

We understand that an individual’s fitness cannot be judged on a single number, which is why we take a holistic look at your lifestyle, fitness routine, and trekking experience before recommending a trek and suggesting a well-thought-out regimen.

We can’t look at BMI individually, we have to look at other parameters too. A short person with a high BMI is at a disadvantage vs. a tall person with a high BMI. Age matters. A younger person with a high BMI will find trekking relatively easier than an older person with a comparable BMI. Gender also matters. Women with higher BMI are at greater risk vs. men with comparable BMIs. This is what our research and years of taking trekkers on high altitude treks tells us.

2. But I’ve had friends/family who have trekked with little or no prior preparation!

Having seen many trekkers head out into the mountains, almost on a whim, and then face the consequences, Sandhya points out several important factors. 

“You are putting yourself at considerable risk if you have high BMI. You are going to struggle your way to the top because you haven’t taken the time to get your body ready. Will power can take you, and many times, it will take you. But, in the process, you will be doing a lot of damage to your body.

Climbing is not an easy task, and you have to prepare your muscles for climbing. You will be wearing out your muscles if you don’t exercise enough and go on a high-altitude trek. Think about it; if your weight is 10 -20 kg over what you should ideally weigh, it is like carrying an extra backpack of that weight.

Climbing requires you to prepare your muscles for the challenges it comes with. Picture from Indiahikes archive

Additionally, on very high-altitude treks, we have noticed that those who suffer from AMS have above-normal BMI. They struggle to climb up, deplete their blood’s oxygen and thereby make themselves more susceptible to altitude sickness. In fact, instances of HAPE and high BMI go together. I am not saying that it’s only those with high BMI, but, from the number of cases we have seen, there is a correlation,” explains Sandhya.

Be upfront about your BMI and fitness levels – The more we know, the more we can help. And this includes providing you with a comprehensive fitness plan that will help you get trek ready!

Pick the right trek – Speak to our experience coordinators, read about treks, do your research, and pick one that is right for your fitness level. It’s always better to build up from easy treks to tougher ones. It allows you to taste success which will help build your confidence and motivate you to work towards a more challenging climb.

Give yourself time to get prepared – Fitness is not an overnight process. Commit to a proper fitness routine at least 1-2 months before your trek date. 

Make cardio a part of your fitness regimen – Start with brisk walking 3-4 times a week. Add a light jog as the weeks progress and build your pace to completing 5 km in less than 37-40 minutes. If you are above 45 years, aim at doing a 5 km jog in 40-45 minutes. If jogging is not quite your thing, try to walk 10 km in under 90 minutes or cycle 22 km in 60 minutes. 

Include strength training – Walking uphill and downhill can be hard on your thighs and knees. Incorporate leg-specific exercises such as squats at least thrice a week. Integrate activities that help build your shoulder muscles. After all, you will be lifting a backpack and walking for long periods. 

Mimic ascents and descents with stair climbing – Climbing stairs is a great way to build cardiovascular strength and endurance. Once you get comfortable with the activity, challenge yourself by climbing with a packed backpack. 

In this article, we want to share some observations about why BMI matters and what you can do if you have a high BMI.

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