Overseas treks training plan

Although walking is something you do everyday - walking uphill, over 10 miles a day, in hot or cold conditions and sometimes in high altitude is something you'll need to train for.

Training is simple. It's about increasing your ability to do a little bit more. You'll need to give yourself time to adapt, recover and come back stronger. The trick is to do it gradually.

You'll need to build your ability to hike between 5 - 12.5 miles a day.

Before rushing into any fitness program, it's always wise to seek the approval of your GP, especially if you have any concerns about your health and your fitness and are wanting to seek advice. It is important to warm up for at least 10 minutes before undertaking any exercise and to cool down for at 10 minutes again after exercising.

Aerobic conditioning trains the energy systems of the body that utilizes oxygen. When training, most of the aerobic training that you do must be on a real ground and not on a treadmill, as the machine will not adequately prepare you for the conditions that you will encounter on your challenge. Don't neglect hill training, as your challenge will consist of hills, in addition to flat grounds. Train with the boots in which you intend to use on your challenge as this will lower the chances of blisters on your challenge.

Cross training involves performing at least two different forms of exercise in one session: such as running, walking, cycling, etc. They all use muscles that are similar to your challenge.

Interval training can be best described as bouts of exercise interspersed with short rest intervals. It is based on the concept that more work can be completed at a higher relative intensity compared to continuous-type training. The intensity and duration of the work intervals and the length of the rest periods dictates the training response. Alternate between brisk walking for up to a minute and then return to original pace for a few minutes.

Strength training targets the major muscle groups, tendons, ligaments and joints to help prevent injury. Exercises include squats, bench press, overead press, leg press and calf press, leg extensions, leg curls. For example - start with a light weight and increase slowly, completing 10-15 reps of each exercise in 3 sets, resting for 3-4 minutes between each set. You can progress by slowly increasing the weight and the amount of reps and sets, but keep the rest periods similar.

Don't worry if you miss the odd session. There will be times where the training feels like a chore and it all seems like too much. But persevere and remember your motivation for signing up to take part. Nothing in life worth achieving is ever easy so keep your eyes on the prize.

Below are a set of guidelines that you may wish to follow to help improve your fitness levels before your climb.

Give yourself a new target each week to help with your training - whether it is on one of your 'Rest days' to go for a 30min walk on your lunch break OR to drink 0.5L more of water each day to help get into the habit of drinking more water, etc.

Please remember that this is just a training guide. You can amend it to suit around you and your routine.