Need help on a exercise plan

[crazyonelost]

I have to admit,I been pretty lazy in staying in the best hiking shape. First of all I am now quitting smoking and dipping and really loving the withdrawls. I have decide to exercise to better my self and hiking form.

I know I need to work on the basic exercise,pushups, crunches, squats,muscle cuilding and cardio.

I live on an hilly 48 acres wooded/ old farmland and have plan on being out in the woods for at least an hour a day(except hunting season oct-dec) I was thinking of how to use whats out there to make the exercises more fun for me and the kids.

I am not good at organizing or planning the exercise program which seems like it all greek to me. Any ideas or comments would help me decipher alot of stuff that is out there. I am confused at hell

I don't have the time or money to go to a gym and figures why let the land go to waste and still be close to home.

[aaronthebugbuffet]

Here's a video to give you some ideas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8xHjC27YvM

[coyote13]

the last push up I had melted before I could eat it but I did a crunch last week when I dropped my pack on my bare foot.

[Sierra Echo]

Quitting smoking will pack on some pounds. When I quit about 4 1/2 yrs ago I ended up gaining about 30 lbs.
My advice to you is to not subsitute food for cigarettes. And its hard because food taste so much better.

[crazyonelost]

I know eating will be hard cause I really love to eat. So, I am trying to stay ahead of the game and hopefully not gain it so fast.

[Rocket Jones]

Why not scout your land? Make a map and figure out where you could blaze your own trail. Whether you actually do it or not, or how difficult you decide to make the trail, it would be like play. Plus, you could set up a couple of good camp sites for your own use whenever you felt like getting out of the house.

In other words, don't make it exercise or work, make it fun.

[Llama Legs]

Even better: load up your pack, grab your trekking poles and hike for exercise. Then when you really hit the trail, your back/shoulders/legs/feet and even your hands will be ready for action !

[Sierra Echo]

I would love to live on 48 acres. I'm totally jealous.
Do you have a creek or river?

[crazyonelost]

I have two creeks one on each side of the property. I sometimes walk a mile up the road and walk from the beginning to the end of a watershed dam which covers about three miles and walk around the dam about 2.5 miles and back home or the other side I follow the creek all the way to the main creek,which is about 3 miles one way.

Both hollows have pretty steep ravines and a few waterfalls thrown in, but one piece of ground the owner is sometimes leery of letting me through so I have been trying to find another route to try.

[Six-Six]

go for a two-day hike. on the third day you will feel what muscles are sore. those are the ones you need an exercise program for. that and your overall cardio workout. It will probably be your hamstrings and glutes. In the gym use the stairmaster. At home do lunges. in both cases, wear your pack. now get out there and get to it!.

BTW - congrats on quiting smoking - I am now 4 years and breathing much easier. Now to work on that weight gain.

[Mags]

I'm not a professional health anything...here's what works for me.

A good fitness programs is in four parts:

Strength training
Cardio/Endurance
Core and Flexibility

Strength, esp in the legs, is obvious for hiking.
Cardio and endurance? Very obvious
Core and flexibility is very important to help prevent injuries..esp important as a person becomes older and/or uses the same large muscle groups over and over again (like backpackers? )

The fourth important part of fitness? A well balanced diet esp off trail (I'm very bad on trail! ). You can get into omega this and supplement that ...but I'm not very smart.
So I keep it simple.

Eat real food: Lots of fruits and veggies. Whole grains. Lean meats. Cook with good fats (olive oil and butter) and eat food with good fats in them (avocados, nuts, cheese). And the occasional indulgence to jump start your metabolism and because, well, what's life without a few indulgences? (Mines a huge burger and fries washed down with beer..esp after a long hike!)


Here's some exercise ideas:
http://exercise.about.com/od/exercis...u/workouts.htm

Some more from here on WB (with a plan):
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...425#post184425


There are others, too. Bike to work. Take a vigorous hike on your 48 acres. Go swimming. Make it fun!

Personally? I bike 3-4 days a week to work (20 miles R/T with hills), do weights 2-3 days a week along with core work 1-2 days a week. On weekends, and some times after work I've been climbing, hiking or backpacking. (During the winter I back country ski).


And, you should get in some hiking and backpacking in, too. The best way to get in shape for hiking and backpacking is to go hiking and backpacking (that does not mean you should not do anything else (or anything at all and show up to the trail out of shape) like some people on this site advocate ).

Not only will it work the muscles for your hiking, but the outdoors is more fun when you are not out of shape! Plus, well..hiking IS fun! You'll get to dial in your gear and routine. And, the best part of all? You'll have good fitness to not only get ready for a big backpacking trip...but to have a good level of health for years to come.


Good luck!

[crazyonelost]

Don't get me wrong. I do get out at least once a year for at least 3-4 days for a 30-70 mile BP trip and of course I never train properly for it and really feel sore for a day or two. I also do a 5-10 miler hike once a month just the get away from the house for a few hours.

I just feel that I need to focus more on my health and to be able to handle more mileage in the future with the least aches and pains. of course the benefits of being healthy,like lower my BP if possible and dropping the cholestrol levels and having more energy to do more things.

I tried figuring out other exercise programs to see if there is one certain type of exercises to do to keep in BP shape.

I don't know if I am wrong or right,the only thing I can figure out is just get out in the woods and just hike away and do whatever cross's my mind. Now that fall is right around the corner in a few months,just trying to get something planned out,so I can be home to make sure homework is getting done and the kids fed. I don't get home till dark and of course hunting season coming up. Would hate to get shot on my own place.

[Tinker]

Walk out into those woods and climb a few trees.

[JAK]

Why not scout your land? Make a map and figure out where you could blaze your own trail. Whether you actually do it or not, or how difficult you decide to make the trail, it would be like play. Plus, you could set up a couple of good camp sites for your own use whenever you felt like getting out of the house.

In other words, don't make it exercise or work, make it fun.

This sounds excellent. After blazing the trail you could also make some fun improvements, like a little bridge across a ditch or stream here or there, or a picnic table with a roof over it, maybe a lean-to shelter or a tree fort where you might want to sleep or take a nap. Use mostly materials from the land, or even all materials. Keeping busy will get you into good shape, and help get you off the cigarettes maybe. For more exercise you might add some exercise stations along the route, like a chin-up bar, or a place for doing situps, maybe some fun obstacles to climb over or under or to swing across.

[excuses]

the easiest exercise is walking. design that trail on your property and walk briskly for an hour or so 5-6 times a week. I change my direction daily to keep it a bit different. Add your gear some days too. My hardest pard is to focus on the trail and not what is going on around me. That tends to slow me down. Enjoy

[DapperD]

I have to admit,I been pretty lazy in staying in the best hiking shape. First of all I am now quitting smoking and dipping and really loving the withdrawls. I have decide to exercise to better my self and hiking form.

I know I need to work on the basic exercise,pushups, crunches, squats,muscle cuilding and cardio.

I live on an hilly 48 acres wooded/ old farmland and have plan on being out in the woods for at least an hour a day(except hunting season oct-dec) I was thinking of how to use whats out there to make the exercises more fun for me and the kids.

I am not good at organizing or planning the exercise program which seems like it all greek to me. Any ideas or comments would help me decipher alot of stuff that is out there. I am confused at hell

I don't have the time or money to go to a gym and figures why let the land go to waste and still be close to home.

Do what Clint Eastwood suggests: A little exercise each and every day. Even if it is only for 10 minutes. Just do something every day!

[crazyonelost]

Jak, I have something on that line working in my thought process as we speak. The workout station idea sounds pretty good,just have to figure out how to do it the natural way of course.

I am thinking and hoping a few neighbors will let me cross their property to extend my walking trail I am thinking of.

Oh,I have many ideas ,just get it on paper and hopefully have a decent workout schedule written up. Just don't know what exercises would work to cover all the bases in a short workout.

[sbhikes]

Go for a walk every day. About an hour each time. Sometimes, test your gear on your hike. Test your shoes, clothing and hats, packs, drinks, whatever. Combine your walks with other chores. Make exercise part of your life, not a pill you have to take each day.

[BobTheBuilder]

Stairs, lots of stairs. Both up and down are important. Up strengthens your thighs and butt/hip muscles, down works your calves. Nothing worse than trying to sleep the first few nights on the trail while your calves feel like they are on fire. If you have a dog, walk it a lot. You'll both benefit. That's about it.

[JAK]

Jak, I have something on that line working in my thought process as we speak. The workout station idea sounds pretty good,just have to figure out how to do it the natural way of course.

I am thinking and hoping a few neighbors will let me cross their property to extend my walking trail I am thinking of.

Oh,I have many ideas ,just get it on paper and hopefully have a decent workout schedule written up. Just don't know what exercises would work to cover all the bases in a short workout.

These sort of exercise trails with stations seemed to be popular in the late seventies. Maybe there are some ideas online, but you might have better luck finding a book in the public library from that era. An older guy working in a parks and recreation might be a good resource from that era also. I think you could come up with your own ideas also though. Start with the trail. Think about ideas while walking the trail.