Part of the joy of reserving a Country Walkers tour is anticipating the journey! Both our Guided and Self-Guided Adventures incorporate a pace which allows you to enjoy the scenery, experience the local culture, appreciate historic sites, and pause for conversation with either your fellow travelers or with the locals. Still, the more you walk or undertake some form of aerobic exercise before your trip begins, the more you will enjoy your experience.

With this in mind, we recommend the following tips to help you prepare:

THE RIGHT FOOTWEAR
Our walking tours require hiking boots, or walking shoes while we suggest you bring biking shoes or sneakers for our Self-Guided Biking tours. (Clipless bike shoes are not necessary, as clipless pedals are not available on the bikes.) There are many brands from which to choose. Proper fit is crucial, so try on new boots or shoes while wearing the socks you will use on tour. (We recommend synthetic or wool, moisture-wicking socks.) Most importantly, be sure to break in your new footwear well before your tour begins.

TRAINING TIPS
Depending on the activity level of your tour, we suggest that you prepare for your tour by incorporating some form of cardio exercise, 2-3 times weekly, for at least 6 weeks before your trip starts. Begin each activity with 5-10 minutes of stretching to prevent injury.

STRETCHING
Stretching adds flexibility and can make your walking, biking, or other activity more comfortable. All stretches should be gentle, with no bouncing.

Warm up at an easy pace before stretching, never stretch cold muscles or you risk tearing them. Incorporate mobility exercises designed to take a muscle and joint through its range of motion. Start at the top of your body and work your way down. Find an upright pole or fence or wall to support you if needed:

Head Circles: Make 1/4 circles with your head. Start with your ear near your shoulder on one side, rotate your head around to the front, ending with your ear near the shoulder on the other side. Roll your head back to the other side. Repeat 5-10 times.

Arm Circles: With one arm at a time, make backwards arm circles with your palm facing out, thumb pointed up. Repeat 10-15 with each arm. Then make forward arm circles with palm facing in, thumb pointed down, repeat 10-15 times.

Hip Stretch: Stand up, take a half-step back with the right foot. Bend your left knee and shift your weight back to your right hip. While keeping the right leg straight, bend forward more and reach further down your right leg.

WALKING POSTURE
How you hold your body is important to walking comfortably and easily. With good posture, you will be able to breathe easier and you will avoid back pain.

• Stand up straight.
• Think of being tall and straight. Do not arch your back.
• Do not lean forward or lean back. Leaning puts strain on the back muscles.
• Eyes forward, not looking down, rather 20 feet ahead.
• Chin up (parallel to the ground). This reduces strain on neck and back.
• Shrug once and let your shoulders fall and relax, your shoulders slightly back.

ARM MOTION
Arm motion can lend power to your walking, burning 5-10% more calories, and acting as a balance to your leg motion.

• Bend your elbow 90 degrees.
• Hands should be loose in a partially closed curl, never clenched.
• Clenching your fists can raise your blood pressure and should be avoided.
• With each step, the arm opposite your forward foot comes straight forward, not diagonally.
• As the foot goes back, the opposite arm comes straight back.

WALKING STEP
The walking step is a rolling motion.

• Strike the ground first with your heel.
• Roll through the step from heel to toe.
• Push off with your toe.
• Bring the back leg forward to strike again with the heel.
• Flexible shoes will ensure you are able to roll through the step.
• If your feet are slapping down rather than rolling through, your shoes are likely too stiff.
• At first, your shin muscles may tire and be sore until they are strengthened.

WALKING STRIDE
Avoid over striding—taking longer steps to increase speed. This is potentially harmful and is inefficient.

• Take more, smaller steps rather than lengthening your stride.
• Your stride should be longer behind your body, where your toe is pushing off, rather than out in front of your body.
• Your forward leg has no power, while your back leg is what is driving you forward. Getting the full power out of the push from the back leg as it rolls from heel to toe is the key to powerful, efficient walking.

BIKING TECHNIQUE AND PEDALING MECHANICS

• Keep your upper body motionless as it will help to move the bike straight forward. Avoid allowing the hips to rock from side to side.
• Pedal in circles with a little more force on the downstroke. Maximum power is achieved in a 360-degree stroke effort.
• Cadence is defined in revolutions per minute, or RPMs. (RPMs between 90-110 is considered ideal.) This is definitely a learned skill. Riding in the smaller gear is the best way to improve RPMs. It is recommended that the first 40 minutes of a ride be done in the smaller gear at a higher cadence to increase efficiency and decrease muscle fatigue.
• Avoid a rocking motion and/or bouncing while cycling.

Remember to dress in comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and protect yourself from the sun. Throughout your exercise, drink plenty of water so that you stay well hydrated.
If possible walk, or bike, on varying terrain and hills. If you live in a flat area, try walking on a treadmill, biking on a stationery bike that has incline capability, or incorporate stairs into your exercise regimen. Even some of our easiest tours include climbing up (or down) to temples, historic sites, or medieval villages. When training for walks on hilly terrain, you may wish to use walking sticks. When biking up steep hills, you may need to get off of your bike and push it for short durations in order to conserve energy for the remainder of the ride. During any activity (or while exercising,) , maintain a steady, but comfortable, pace— and don’t hesitate to stop for frequent breaks.