Have you ever wanted to take a surf trip to Costa Rica or hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru? In that case, you’ll need at least a basic level of physical fitness to make the most of your adventure trip.
What sets adventure travel apart from regular tourism is that it involves some type of physical activity. Examples of adventure tourism include backpacking, trekking, mountain biking, surfing, kayaking, rafting, and so on.
Above all, adventure travel lets us experience the unique beauty of a new country firsthand—not from the safe confines of a rental car or tour bus, but through our own physical effort. Plus, tourism that involves strenuous physical activity outdoors is a great way to deeply immerse ourselves in a new culture and landscape.
Yet, we often underestimate the physical toll outdoor adventure trips take on our bodies if we are not adequately prepared. It’s crucial to build strength and cardiovascular fitness for any adventure travel trip to prevent injury and fatigue.
Whether popping up on a surfboard in the Pacific or trekking up to an elevation of 13,000 feet in the Andes, the goal is to thrive in your new environment, not suffer because you’re out of shape.
That’s where this fitness guide comes in handy, offering helpful tools and insights to prep you for your next active adventure.
Assess Your Current Level of Fitness
Fitness entails a number of different elements including (but not limited to) strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility. It’s important to assess your performance in each one of these categories before you decide how to train for your upcoming trip.
For example, if you plan to take a 4-day trek along the Inca Trail in Peru, then you will need leg strength for climbing and descending, cardiovascular endurance to keep up the pace, good balance to prevent trips and falls, and mobility/flexibility to bounce back each day without being overly stiff and sore.
Many people are strong in at least one of the above categories, but typically not all of them. If you are someone who frequently practices yoga, then you probably have good balance and range of motion, but you may lack muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance.
Therefore, in preparation for your trek, continue your regular yoga practice AND take some strength training or HIIT classes. Understanding the physical demands of the trip and tailoring your training to those specific conditions is essential.
Here are some general benchmarks to help assess your current fitness level:
Endurance:
- Do you walk at least 10k steps daily?
- Can you run 1.5 miles in 12 minutes?
Strength:
- Can you perform 10-15 unbroken pushups?
- Can you hold a plank for 1 minute?
- Can you hold a wall sit for 1 minute?
Balance:
- Can you balance on a single leg (eyes closed) for 30 seconds?
- Can you perform the Y-balance test?
Flexibility:
- Do you stretch or foam roll at least 10 minutes daily?
- Can you get off the ground without using any support?
Train for Specific Terrain and Conditions
When considering a training program for adventure travel, it’s crucial not to overlook certain factors like temperature, elevation, terrain type, and environmental conditions. These variables can greatly affect endurance, hydration needs, gear selection, and overall physical preparation.
Having a high level of general fitness (as discussed above) is great, but it’s equally important to understand specific environmental conditions for your trip. For example, if you are going on a multi-day trek through the Andes, you might want to consider specific factors like altitude, elevation change, seasonal temperature, and trail conditions (dirt, rocks, scree, snow?).
If you are taking a surf trip to Costa Rica, it might be helpful to understand seasonal variations in wave size and water temperature. For instance, will you be surfing at a beach break with frequent, powerful waves and a challenging paddle out? If so, expect to perform a lot of duck dives, which require a certain level of upper body strength and conditioning.
On this topic, I recently took a surf trip to Vancouver Island in Canada, where the water temperature was in the low 50s Fahrenheit (that’s really freakin’ cold). Therefore, I prepared for this drastic cold water temperature by taking several ice baths in the weeks leading up to the trip.
The point is, when it comes to adventure travel there are other factors besides physical fitness to consider and prepare for. Remember, we want to thrive rather than simply survive—mental preparation is key.
Take Care of Your Body
While it’s vital you do all you can to prepare for the physical requirements of an adventure travel trip, you also don’t want to show up overly fatigued. This could lead to burnout before the trip is over or an inability to complete your adventure.
When training hard in preparation for a vigorous trip, you must prioritize taking good care of your body. Rather than keeping your foot on the gas, make time for proper recovery in the weeks leading up to your trip.
What does good recovery look like?
- Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night
- Consume 3-4 nutritious meals per day
- Stay hydrated by drinking 2-3 liters of water per day
- Stretch, mobilize, and get bodywork therapy
Before heading off to your adventure travel destination, you should feel both strong and well-rested. In the last week before travel, you might consider significantly reducing your training volume to allow your body to fully recover before the trip.
Consider going for a low-impact swim, taking a restorative yoga class, getting a sports massage, or maybe even doing contrast therapy with sauna and cold immersion (also known as the Nordic cycle).
Another key point, don’t forget that travel itself takes a toll on the body. If you have a long layover between flights, make sure to hydrate, stretch, go for a walk, do some yoga—anything that will keep your body limber during travel.
Build a Training Program Around Your Trip
All things considered, it’s time to put these considerations into concrete form. Again, specificity is key here.
Some important questions to ask when building a pre-trip training program:
- What type of terrain or movement patterns will I encounter and how can I mimic those in training?
- How can I build joint stability and mobility to prevent injuries?
- How should I periodize my training to arrive well-prepared but not overtrained?
In short, the goal is to devise a realistic pre-trip game plan that you can stick to. Even if you are someone who is already in great physical shape, what specifically do you need to train in the weeks leading up to your trip?
For example, my previous adventure travel programs have primarily involved surf training. I typically train for surf travel by focusing on swimming, bodysurfing, functional strength training, yoga, and breathwork—giving myself at least a month to prepare.
However, this same regimen wouldn’t be ideal if I were traveling to Tanzania to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. Even though I am in good shape overall, I don’t do much hiking nor do I live at elevation.
I might consider hill training at a higher elevation with a heavy backpack 5-6 times a week, as well as going for at least one long (5-hour) hike each week. As for strength training, I would focus specifically on training my glutes, hamstrings, and quads to help with climbing and descending. Accordingly, split squats, box step ups, single leg Romanian deadlifts, and eccentric step downs are ideal movements for building strong hiking legs.
Lastly, I’d add in some cold exposure (ice baths) for post-workout recovery, preparing me for the icy temperatures at the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Sample Fitness Program
Below is a sample fitness program I created for a client who was training for a weeklong bodysurf retreat in Costa Rica. Bodysurfing is a full body exercise that requires good conditioning, kicking power, a strong core, mobile shoulders, and good lung capacity (for breath holding).
To prepare for her adventure travel trip, we focused on strength training, swimming, yoga, and walking. Here is what a typical week of training looked like for her:
Monday – Strength Training
Warmup (1 Round)
- Hip Circles x 10/side
- Alternating Quadruped Leg Extension x 12
- Plank Shoulder Taps x 20
- Glute Loop Series x 10 yards
Lower Body Circuit (3 Rounds)
- Banded Dumbbell Hip Thrust x 10
- Alternating Curtsy Squat x 12
- Knee Over Toe Split Squat x 6/side
Upper Body Circuit (3 Rounds)
- Scapular Pushup x 8
- Dumbbell Gorilla Row x 16
- Banded Front Raise x 10
Finisher (2 Rounds)
- Bent Hollow Tap x 20
- Penguin Tap x 20
- Russian Twist x 20
- Plank Burpee x 10
Tuesday – Pool Workout
- Tread Water x 2 Minutes
- Prone Frog Kick w/ Kickboard x 100m
- Supine Streamline Flutter Kick w/ Kickboard x 100m
- Prone Streamline Flutter Kick w/ Kickboard x 100m
- Side Stroke w/ Scissor or Frog Kick x 100m
- Tread Water x 2 Minutes
Wednesday – Active Recovery
Go for a 30-minute walk in nature.
Thursday – Strength Training
Warmup (1 Round)
- Jefferson Curl x 30 seconds
- World’s Greatest x 3/side
- Plank Shoulder Taps x 20
- Glute Loop Series x 10 yards
Lower Body Circuit (3 Rounds)
- Dumbbell Crush Grip Romanian Deadlift x 8
- Air Squat x 10
- Single Leg Glute Bridge x 6/side
Upper Body Circuit (3 Rounds)
- Eccentric Pushup x 6
- Box Dips x 8
- Banded High Pull x 10
Finisher (2 Rounds)
- Farmer’s Wall Sit x 40 seconds
- Farmer’s March x 40 seconds
Friday – Active Recovery
Go for a 30-minute walk in nature.
Saturday – Pool Workout
- Tread Water x 2 Minutes
- Prone Frog Kick w/ Kickboard x 100m
- Supine Streamline Flutter Kick w/ Kickboard x 100m
- Prone Streamline Flutter Kick w/ Kickboard x 100m
- Side Stroke w/ Scissor or Frog Kick x 100m
- Tread Water x 2 Minutes
Sunday – Yoga
Train for the Trip of a Lifetime
Biking across Italy? Trekking in Nepal? I’d like to help you reach your fitness goals so you can fully enjoy the trip of a lifetime.
As a NASM Certified Personal Trainer with over 6 years experience in the adventure travel industry, my training methodology prioritizes functional, compound movements that improve real-world strength, balance, coordination, and mobility using minimal equipment.
I am capable of assessing your fitness level, personal goals, and skills to create customized training programs, provide regular feedback, and track progress.
Here at Chandra Wellbeing, we offer remote personal training and fitness programs designed to get your body ready for whatever adventure you’ve booked next.
Our physical training services include:
- One-on-One Virtual Personal Training
- Tailored Fitness Training Programs based on your trip, timeline & current fitness level
- Mobility, Endurance, and Strength Plans for hiking, cycling, paddling & more
Whether you’re designing a wellness-focused travel experience or preparing for one, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn more about personalized training solutions for your goals or business.
No gym memberships. No guesswork. Just expert support to help you move with confidence and arrive ready.
