Our Top Tips For a More Rewarding Experience
A multi-day walking tour with Camino Women is unlike any other you will come across, which is why it is important to prepare well for the experience. Here’s our top tips for a better and more rewarding trekking adventure.
Build Up Your Fitness
Don’t just book a tour with us on a whim unless you are a keen and fit hiker, as our experiences are physically demanding. To avoid injury, speak with your doctor and personal trainer about getting in the right shape and doing the right exercises for a multi-day trekking adventure. This is because to get the most out of your experience you will need to build up your fitness with daily steps and weekly hikes in your area. Increase your challenges as you progress your preparation so when you are ready to join the trip, a multi-day hike is not something that will faze you.
Do Yoga
From speaking with many of our guests, yoga and pilates are good activities to accompany your general training. That’s because these exercises help strengthen the core muscles needed for endurance activities. It is also a good way to get your muscles stretched and more limber, helping your body recover faster.
Vary Your Practice Hikes
This might seem an obvious one, but it is a good idea to do plenty of hiking before your trip, ideally on a range of terrain with a backpack on you so you can get used to carrying some weight if your hike requires you to do so. During a hike you will come across a real mix of terrain including sandy trails, dirt tracks, gravel pathways, rocky roads, cobbled streets and grassy fields. Whatever trek you decide to do with us, there will be plenty of walking up and downhill so it is good to get used to the muscle strain that entails.
Get the Right Equipment
We will always advise our guests of what equipment they will need for one of our treks, but we invite you to do your own research beforehand too. As you’ll be walking on many uneven surfaces, you will need a decent pair of walking shoes or boots that you have already practised hiking in so you do not suffer from blisters and you can make sure they are the right fit for a multi-day hiking experience. The ideal boot is well-cushioned, lightweight, waterproof and breathable.
Be sure to bring the right clothes too, including comfortable yet sturdy pants and a warm jacket. A polyester fleece works well for cooler temperatures, while for walks in the sun you may wish to wear light clothing and a brimmed hat that covers your skin as much as possible to avoid sunburn. For many hikes, a waterproof and breathable jacket is a must.
Research Your Destination Ahead of Time
With so much involved in a multi-day trek experience, it is best not to leave too much to chance. We advise that you do as much research as possible, especially for trips involving more challenging elements such as uphill trekking and altitude. If you’re travelling outside of Australia, then you should also study up on local customs, language and traditions so you can be respectful to your host country and its people.
Kegel Exercises
Kegels are the practice of squeezing, holding, and releasing your pelvic floor muscles. Many women we speak to that have prepared for our tours, have stressed the importance of doing kegel exercises to strengthen pelvic floor muscles. Strengthening your pelvic floor will help restore muscle function and kegels are the primary pelvic floor exercise. This is a good guide to some simple kegel exercises you can try any time of the day.
Check In With Your Doc
Before signing up to one of our multi-day hikes, we recommend booking an appointment with your doctor especially if you are not feeling fully confident in your health and fitness. Your doctor will be able to assess your suitability for the trip and help you formulate a plan to improve your health and fitness if need be.