I’m working with Graham Whitehead Health to ensure I’m ready for my 26-mile Mike Hike in aid of Macmillan Cancer. I’m also climbing Ben Nevis with Niki and friends in the summer, so being prepared is key! HELP!
In 2016 Graham helped me lose weight now he’s helping me prepare for the challenges which lie ahead. So, if you’re taking part in a run, walk or even swim here’s a few hand hints and tips to get you in great condition for your challenge. Take it away Graham…
Preparing for a physical challenge
Preparing for a physical challenge such as a big hike or Ben Nevis can leave you with a lot of questions. How do I prepare best for this? What foods are best for such a long hike? What are some useful exercises I can do to help?
The questions above have a lot of varied answers. The answer is everyone has different needs and training ability therefore the information below is general advice that will help in preparing you for your challenge.
Nutrition (hydration)
Firstly, “the best solution for pollution is dilution”. So, when preparing or participating in physical activity you need to keep yourself adequately hydrated. Simply multiply your body weight in kilograms by 0.033. This will give you your required daily water intake in liters. My favorite brand of water is evian as it contains highest trace of minerals.
What foods should I take with me on my walk?
Nutrition is varied for each individual but hop on to my blog to take a look at the top 15 on the go snacks. Ensure you take a good balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The snacks on my blog have a good proportion of protein, fat, and carbohydrate. If you are unsure on what proteins are, think of anything with eyes such as ham or my favourite, beef jerky. Nuts and seeds are also included in this category. Fats come from meat, oils, nuts, seeds, and, avocado. Carbohydrates come from vegetables, grains, fruit, and legumes. Carbohydrates are often over consumed and some walking books recommend consuming carbohydrates to give you energy and keep you going. This is often incorrect as too many carbohydrates will alter your blood sugar and cause you to have an energy crash if not consumed with adequate amounts of protein and fat. The same applies to caffeine consumption too.
Sleep
In my opinion good quality sleep is one of the best things you can do to improve your health. Your body has a natural circadian rhythm that is aligned with the sun rising and falling. If you are struggling to sleep here are some guidelines to help.
1. Ideally be asleep by 10:30 pm. Between 10:00pm and 2:00am is the stage in your sleep where your body physically repairs itself. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!
2. Sleep in a room that is completely dark.
3. AVOID the consumption of stimulants (caffeine, sugar, and nicotine) after lunch. If you are unable to sleep well, be particularly mindful with desserts, especially ones that contain sugar, caffeine, or alcohol.
4. Drink plenty of water. Once dehydrated the body responds as though its experiencing stress. If your body is stressed it produces stress hormones, which are awakening hormones.
5. Exercise in general will help you sleep better at night.
If you are having problems sleeping you may find that you are not following the above. Furthermore, a good tip is to use Epsom salt baths and yogi bedtime tea. This will help you relax before bed and often gives you a more peaceful night’s rest.
I hope you have found these tips helpful. If you feel you need more nutrition advice you can download my ebook: Flatten Your Abs Forever (see resources). This will help you prepare in no time. Whenever you improve your diet, your performance will dramatically improve. When people follow my ebook they often lose body fat which will reduce the amount of inflammation in your body. Inflammation is often coupled with heat and pain. Alternatively, please feel free to contact me for some personal coaching and I would be more than happy to help.
Thanks Graham! In part two Graham will provide you with training tips and exercises that will help prepare for a physical challenge.
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I’ve set myself a target of £250 for this work. If you can spare a few pounds please sponsor me here. Thank you x
