Fitness for Trekking

As part of our recent holiday in Vietnam and Cambodia(we arrived back this week), we did a short trek in Sapa. It was a great experience but because of the combination of steep hills, clay soil and rain, it was not easy.

Here are some fitness ideas if you are planning a trek

- build up a good basic fitness level

- work on your flexibility, balance and agility - if you are walking on slippery steep ground, you will find these fitness elements are being constantly tested

- prepare yourself for the downhill sections - glutes and hamstrings will take a beating - if you have access to a elliptical machine, backwards stepping is a useful preparation.

- if your are going to use a pole for support (we would not have been able to do without our bamboo poles) - shoulder, back, arms and chest will all need work

Obesity and Sugars

I listened to a great "Health Report" podcast today on the possible link between high fructose and sucrose intake and the increased incidence of obesity in many parts of the world.

The upshoot of the report for the average person is to decrease intake of processed foods that are high in fructose or sucrose and low in fibre. It is important to consider carbohydrates in relation to fibre levels - an orange is good - orange juice on the other hand not so good.

Osteoarthritis and Exercise

A recent study has suggested that doing taichi and other exercise helps sufferers of osteoarthritis by strengthening the muscles, improving balance and proprioception and moving the muscles around the joints.

The adage of "use it or lose it" is very apt in relation to exercise and osteoarthritis. By working the joints through a relatively full range of motion, even if it means "some slight" discomfort is considered to reduce pain and increase joint range of motion.

Training Boredom

One of the challenges facing many people on their path to fitness is periods of feeling bored or stale with their training. You do your normal weight training routine or cardio session and think to yourself – what am I doing? I’m just going through the motions.

Here are a couple of ideas to help shrug off the feeling.
1. Take a couple of days off training and do something different
2. Start doing a new class – dance, yoga etc. (this is for the guys too)
3. Train somewhere new.
4. Increase the variety within your normal workout – spice up each individual workout with a change of exercises, tempo, intensity etc.

Have fun.

Beyond the squat, bench and deadlift

When training in a good weight training facility, I am a firm believer in doing basic exercises that work multiple bodyparts. When talking about the basics most people automatically think of the squat, deadlift and benchpress. These are all great exercises but for the more advanced trainer, there are a multitude of other exercises and variations that will keep your training interesting and make you work hard.

Some exercises to consider are snatchs, cleans, push presses, Romanian deadlifts, front squats, and hack squats. No machines or fancy equipment is required, just good instruction, well-developed movement patterns and hard work. Most of these exercises have been around for ages, but most modern trainers have never used them so you might have to hunt around for someone to show you the movements. Just remember these exercises are generally not recommended for beginners – you should have developed good lifting basics and kinesthetic feedback before attempting these old school exercises.