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Fitness

As part of our stay at KISC we will be doing a lot of hiking and adventuring in the Swiss Alps which can be challenging even for the most prepared Scout! It’s important to start preparing now so you can make the most out of your experience. That’s why we suggest gradually building up your fitness.

Gradually build up the difficulty of your walks, focusing on uphill hikes with weight on your back to prepare for KISC. Start slowly and increase the difficulty over time. Listen to your body and rest when needed. With dedication and perseverance, you’ll be ready for a successful KISC experience!

Below is a training guide to help you prepare. 

February

  • Start going on walks/runs for a total of 120-180 min per week, split across 3 occasions. This could be three 40-minute walks, an hour walk then two 30-minute walks, etc. Towards the end of the month try and extend the time of these walks. 
  • Highly recommended to find hills as part of your walks…hikes at KISC are all uphill, many significantly, so uphill training is a must.
  • Start doing some simple bodyweight/strength exercises: air squats, pushups, and pullups/negative pullups/hanging from a pullup bar. 3 sets of 10 reps, twice per week.

March

  • Keep doing at least 3 walks per week, but increase the length of 1 of these walks. E.g., 60min Mon/Wed + 120min Saturday.
  • Start adding weight to walks, not too much to start with…your daypack with a few bottles of water and some clothes is a good start.
  • Don’t forget to keep finding those hills! If you have no hills, then a great substitute is step-ups: grab a box, small stool, or anything just below knee height, and step up and down on it. Start easy, maybe 15min 2x per week. Do it while watching the next episode of your current Netflix series, your favourite BBL team game, or anything else!
  • Keep doing strength work, increase to 3 sets of 15 reps.

April

  • Increase length of long walk to 120min+, increase weight of daypack (start packing it with most of the items you will take on a hike at KISC. This is also a great way to get comfortable with your gear, while testing what works and what doesn’t work for you!)
  • Your daypack you walk with should now be holding everything you would take on your KISC hikes (don’t forget to leave some room for food too!)
  • Strength work: increase to 3 sets of 15 reps, now 3 times per week

May

  • Increase length of walks as you are comfortable. Try to add in at least 1 full day walk every few weeks
  • Strength work: 3 sets of 20 reps, 3 times per week

June

  • Add a couple of full day (or even overnight) walks. 
  • The week or so before you fly out to KISC, take a break to rest and recover. Some easy walks are good, but you don’t need any huge strength sessions or giant walks. This recovery week is just as important as all of your training before now!

You could contact other Contingent members in your State and meet up to exercise together! A fantastic way to both make friends and prepare for KISC! 

Not sure what to do or where to start? The most important thing is to get moving! Here are some general tips for your KISC training: 

  • Box steps / step-ups / walking up stairs – These are a great substitute if you can’t find hills to walk up, or if the weather is horrible outside. Put on your favourite Netflix show or sport game while you’re doing it at home, find flights of stairs to walk up & down, or anything else creative you can think of.
  • Walking / running / cycling / swimming / dancing– Anything to get moving and working out your aerobic system is great. You might already be doing some good aerobic training at school or as part of other activities, keep it up, this training will really help you in KISC!
  • Hydration – In order to get fit for KISC we need to take care of our bodies! Make sure you are focussed on staying hydrated; before, during and after training. Don’t forget to fuel your body with lots of good food and nutrients too! Ensuring our bodies are well-fuelled and hydrated with help give you lots of energy for training and make recovery faster.  
  • Stretching / yoga – Don’t forget your recovery after all of your hard training!
  • Don’t forget your backpack – You will be carrying your gear up the mountains at KISC, so why not train with that gear now? Slowly build up with it so you don’t injure yourself or burnout too quickly. Don’t hurt yourself by going too hard too early!