Walking the Inca Trail is one of the most magical experiences in Peru. Walking along this spectacular cobbled road of more than 500 years with so much history around it is, without a doubt, a memory that you will keep for the rest of your life. However, to really enjoy it, you have to be prepared.
And with prepared we don’t just mean carrying the right luggage, the most comfortable booties and a good attitude. It is also important a previous physical training that allows you to resist the hours of walking – between 6 and 8 daily -, the steps that you will find throughout the route and to cope with the best changes in altitude that you will face on the road.
There are two important aspects to train, cardiovascular endurance and strength. How to achieve it? We give you some recommendations:
1. Accustom your body to exercise
If you are one of the people who do not like physical activity but want to do the walk, start a few. With one-hour inter-session sessions you will be taking the first step to a better physical condition and avoid getting injured.
2. Raise your pulse
The cardiovascular training will allow you to walk without problems long distances because your lungs will have the ability to face both the trajín and the height. Find an activity that you like like swimming, cycling or running, which will keep your heart rate elevated for a long time.
3. Find your balance
The cobbled road and the unevenness can complicate the advance on the Inca Trail. That is why it is important to work to maintain balance, and that is achieved by strengthening the middle area of the body. You can combine exercises like plank or traditional abs, doing 20-second intervals of work for 10 rest for 4 or 5 minutes.
4. Don’t forget the strength
The leg muscles are the ones that will end most exhausted after eight hours of walking. You better start exercising them with movement routines that focus on all muscles such as squats, front squats, back squats and lunges.
5. Take care of your diet
Without good food, your effort to get fit for the Inca Trail will have few results. Decrease your consumption of sugar and carbohydrates and give priority to proteins that will help you recover after training and gain muscle mass.
6. Start walking
Once a week, it is ideal to take short walks outside the city. Start with simple routes and increase the intensity by choosing uneven roads and rocky terrain. It is ideal that you wear the same boots that you will take to the Inca Trail and that you get used to carrying the weight of your personal backpack in advance.
