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Kilimanjaro Fitness programme » Cardiovascular fitness » fitness Kilimanjaro:

Please remember though, if you want to start an exercise program, consult your doctor first and seek the advise of professionals whenever starting some form of fitness you are unfamiliar with.

Fitness, exercise and heart rate:

Muscles get stronger if they are used regularly, at a suitable level and for a sustained period. This is known as the training effect. As a hiker, you might think the most important muscles to train are in your legs, but in fact the heart is even more vital. If you train your heart muscle, it pumps blood more efficiently and delivers more oxygen. Cardiovascular (CV) fitness refers to your heart and circulation: you can improve your CV fitness simply by exercising in your target zone for at least 20 minutes several times a week.

Your target zone:

This table shows how your target zone is calculated from your age; the formula does not allow for individual differences. Exercising above your target zone will not increase your CV fitness significantly farther, and may tire you faster. Exercising below it will benefit you in weight loss, increasing your power-to-weight ratio. However, it will not noticeably improve your fitness level.

If you exercise within your target zone for 20-40 minutes every other day, within a few weeks you will notice your fitness improving. You will have to work harder to push your heart rate into your target zone, and it will return to normal faster when you ease off.

The guideline is to work hard enough to make yourself pant, but not so hard that you cannot also talk. A wrist-worn heart rate monitor takes out the guesswork by showing you a continuous read-out.

The fit person climbs more easily, uses less oxygen per unit of work done and is more energy-efficient. When everything takes more effort than usual as at altitude, it helps progress and morale to know that your heart is pumping the available oxygen efficiently to your tissues. Taken to extremes of altitude, your brain is your most important organ: if your judgment is sound, you may take avoiding action before you run into danger.

Where and how to exercise:

The answer depends on your preference, your lifestyle and where you live. If you live in or near pleasant terrain for walking /jogging, have considerable self-discipline and you don’t mind the weather, suitable footwear may be all you need. Consider getting  a heart rate monitor to make your training more systematic. Try going out with a friend who also wants to get fit: if your training needs and pace are compatible, you will motivate each other.

If brisk walking or jogging does not appeal, find a mix of activities that you enjoy and can do often enough (Three times per week). If you dislike an activity, you won’t stick to it. Anything that puts your heart rate into the target zone is fine, e.g.; energetic dancing, cycling or swimming. Consider joining a gym or fitness canter: their equipment is designed to measure and build CV fitness. A gym makes you independent of the weather and limited daylight, there are trained staffs and it’s easy to monitor your progress.

Avoid relying on a single form of exercise. The smooth flat surface of a treadmill does nothing to prepare your leg muscles for rough terrain of Kilimanjaro. If you use a gym for convenience, try to complement it with some hill-walking expeditions in the weeks prior to departure. However you exercise, minimize the risk of straining your body, especially at first, by warming up slowly beforehand, cooling down afterwards, and stretching both before and after. Stretching beforehand reduces the risk of injury. After exercise, stretching prevents a build-up of  lactic acid in your muscles, which would lead  to stiffness later. Take a water container and drink plenty before, during and after your sessions.