Together we've been on a number of hiking/backpacking trips of varying difficulty. We've climbed the Austrian Alps, trekked across Galicia, Spain, hiked through parts of the Appalachian Trail, and explored Glacier National Park.
We always plan to train for our trips starting at least a couple of weeks before or even over a month before we leave for the more extreme locations. Training includes everything from re-learning how to live out of a backpack for over a week, to taking practice hikes in nearby parks, to lifting weights in the gym.
But the most effective way that I have found to train your body for the challenges of higher altitudes and increased joint pressure is varied water fitness. I have been taking deep water fitness classes two to three times a week for about a year now, and I have really enjoyed it! I originally started water fitness as a sort of therapy for my knee, which was injured on our pilgrimage in Spain. My coach, Pam Milling, says that by doing deep water fitness, the pressures of the deeper water not only heal your joints but make them stronger.
In addition to joint improvement, water fitness is the most effective aerobic exercise I have ever experienced. Because you are having to keep yourself afloat, you are constantly using all of your muscles against the resistance of the water. This is something you cannot get on land. The nature of this type of exercise also ensures that you work all of your muscle pairs evenly, which prevents the imbalance you may get when you work your muscles selectively on land.
The greatest benefit of water fitness relative to backpacking, however, and a benefit which you can only gain on land by using special expensive equipment, is strengthening your lungs. Doing deep water fitness for an hour a few times a week will train your body to take deeper breaths and space out your breaths more. This is similar to the effect on your legs after walking around with ankle weights for several weeks. It lessens the work you have to do without the weights to walk normally. When you have your body below your neck submerged, your lungs have to do extra work to expand and take in air. After putting your body in this condition regularly, you will begin to notice that you take longer, slower breaths when on land and taking in more oxygen than you used to. I cannot emphasize how wonderful this benefit is when you are backpacking in high altitudes!
So, next time you are training for a trek, be sure to include some deep water fitness!
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