Backpacker Magazine – May 2009

Fitness Special—Hike Forever: Age 18-35

Build your fitness foundation with this essential physiological info, tips on eating right and exercises for staying in prime hiking shape.

by: Casey Lyons

Tags:
• Food & Nutrition
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• Fitness
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Fitness Hero
Andrew Skurka, 28
The wonderkid of ultralight has hiked 22,000 miles since 2002. For reference, that's one PCT's-length shy of the Earth's circumference. His secret: an ascetic schedule (on the trail by 6 a.m., hike until 9 p.m.), superior endurance (he came in second in last year's Leadville 100), mental toughness, and a dynamic stretching routine that targets the quads, hamstrings, glutes, hips, groin, back, and abdomen. Do it at the end of every workout or trail day, says Lynn Millar, doctor of physical therapy at Andrews University, and you'll reduce stiffness, feel better the next morning, and decrease your chances of injury over the long term.
Photo by James Q. Martin

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