Work out and diet plan for hiking Grand Canyon?!


Question: I'm rafting the Grand Canyon and have to hike 9 miles out of it at the end. Any tips on workout plans to increase endurance and other helpful tips would be a huge help.

Any diet changes would be helpful, too.


Answers: I'm rafting the Grand Canyon and have to hike 9 miles out of it at the end. Any tips on workout plans to increase endurance and other helpful tips would be a huge help.

Any diet changes would be helpful, too.

I take it from your description that you are rafting from Lee's Ferry to Phantom Ranch and then planning on hiking out on the Bright Angel trail?

The main thing about hiking in the canyon is that it is pretty much constant up or down hiking (all up in your case) with relatively few level spots. You will want to focus on your your calves, knees and thighs. A combination of long-duration endurance-building workouts on a treadmill (hour plus) and shorter muscle-building workouts on a Stair Master type machine would be the best. In addition, doing a little work on stomach and lower back (situps, stomach crunches) is good too.

Of course, the best way to prepare for hiking up hill is to actually do it. If you have any trails with good climbs near your house, make sure you do some practice hikes on those because it will help get your knees and ankles used to the uneven terrain (something that stair masters and treadmills can't prepare you for). Doing a series of 3-5 hour hikes over actually trails with some decent elevation change is probably the best overall preparation that you can do.

In terms of diet, there is really nothing special for the Grand Canyon itself. If you need to lose weight, cut back on fats and overall calories. But make sure you are getting enough calories and especially protein while working out to help rebuild muscles.

Perhaps just as important as preparing for the hike, is being smart about what you do when you are on the trail. Make sure that you just go at your own comfortable pace - don't try to go so fast at the start that you get burned out early. Also, try to take a 10-15 minute break once every 1-2 hours where you stop, find a place to lie down and elevate your feet a foot or so above your body. This will help refresh your feet by flushing out toxins and improving circulation. Speaking of feet - bring moleskin (or better yet something like SecondSkin) and use it as soon as you feel any hot spots (don't wait for a blister).

If you are going to be hiking out during summer, keep in mind that the inner gorge along the river has a climate similar to Phoenix - meaning that it will be very hot with little shade. Avoid doing the steep climbs (such as the Devils Corkscrew switchback out of the Inner Gorge and 'Jacobs Ladder' switchbacks through the Redwall above Indian Gardens) during the heat of the day. Indian Gardens has trees, water and bathrooms making it a great place to hang out, rest up and cool off. Always carry lots of water and a few salty snacks.

A few other suggestions... if you have any joint issues and packing room allows, consider taking a pair of those lightweight collaspeable trekking poles (look like ski poles) these take a lot of the strain off your ankle and knees and can make a big difference going up hill. They usually sell trekking poles at the Phantom Ranch canteen, so you could wait and buy a couple there as a souvenier (a bit more expensive than outside the park).

Also, if you are going during a cooler time of the year (ie: before mid-April or after Sept) consider going up South Kaibab trail instead - it is shorter and more scenic. Don't go up South Kaibab during summer though - there is no water along the trail and less shade than on Bright Angel.

Have fun! Rafting the canyon is one of the top experiences in the world. Hiking out of the canyon is a bit of work - but don't overlook it as an experience either as there are a lot of neat things and incredible views along the trail.





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