Training for Kilimanjaro Trek
Training to climb Kilimanjaro is as much about your physical endurance as it is about your mental stamina. The physical training for Kilimanjaro should be a good mix of stair masters, uphill treadmill climbs and breathing exercises. You should alternate days using the stair master and the treadmill.
Here below are some recommended training for the Kilimanjaro climb.
Climbing Kilimanjaro is in fact just one long hike. The best way to prepare for a long hike is to do a few yourself. If you can do back to back days that would be even better. Doing a few practices hikes as part of your training to climb Kilimanjaro will help you to experience what a 5 hour hike on difficult terrain feels like, going up and down and also You get to wear in your boots. There is nothing worse than arriving in Kilimanjaro with unworn-in boots. This can seriously stymie your summit attempt as you will get blisters and sore feet early on in your hike.
There always comes a point during summit night that you will want to quit and just head back down the mountain. Keeping a positive attitude and digging deep to push through is incredibly important and a valuable skill. Training your mental stamina is no easy thing, but there are ways to accomplish it. You essentially need to construct an activity that pushes your body to what it thinks is its limit, then you need to push past that to reach your goal. A great way to achieve this is long distance running such as half marathons and full marathons. A marathon will push you to your limit whilst having an achievable goal in sight the finish line.
Aerobic training uses oxygen to adequately meet the energy demands of exercise via aerobic metabolism. The types of exercise that use aerobic metabolism are generally light-to-moderate intensity activities like long distance jogging, swimming, cycling and walking. This differs from anaerobic exercise like high intensity weight lifting and sprinting which uses anaerobic metabolism to supplement the aerobic system due to increased energy demands. Aerobic exercise builds the cardiovascular system which is key when training to climb Kilimanjaro, as a strong cardiovascular system will help you process limited oxygen in a more efficient way.
Any Kilimanjaro training plan should also include strength training. Although not as important as your aerobic training, strengthening your upper body, core and, in particular, your legs, will greatly increase your chances of success. Squats, Front and reverse leg curls, Lunges, Step aerobics are recommended.
