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Physical conditioning is very activity-specific. This means that although running every day could benefit you during your expedition, such activity by itself will not be sufficient to prepare you for a wilderness expedition, which may include several hours a day of trekking with a heavy backpack through rugged, difficult, and raising terrain.
You should therefore physically condition yourself several months before your expedition by following some basic tips:
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STRENGTH & ENDURANCE TRAINING
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With the assistance of a personal trainer, and subject to medical approval, you should develop a pro program that focuses on both strength and endurance.
Although your pro program should involve all major muscle groups, you should nonetheless focus on the muscles you will use the most during your expedition, namely your legs, back, shoulders and arms.
In order to develop endurance, you should perform daily cardio-vascular exercises, such as running or swimming. Depending on your current level of physical fitness, you should start slowly and gradually increase the duration and intensity of your work out.
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GETTING USED TO YOUR (HEAVY) BACKPACK
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Once you have reached a good level of physical fitness, you should start practicing backpacking. Simply fill your backpack with a full load, and start walking around your house in your hiking boots. Gradually increase the difficulty and duration of your pro, by involving for example going up and down stairs in your house or building.
Keep in mind that your expedition will require you to go up and down hill with your fully loaded backpack for several hours a day. You should therefore train until you are confortable carrying a backpack on uneven terrain for extended periods of time.
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Although good nutrition is always important, it becomes critical when intense physical activity is involved. About two weeks before the beginning of your expedition, you should therefore start loading on slow carbohydrates, such as pasta. This will build glycogen reserves in your muscles, which will then be later used as fuel during your backpacking expedition.
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