How to Prepare for Your First Adventure Travel
Adventure travel is a unique experience. So unique, in fact, that the preparations go far beyond sorting out your attire and doing a bit of research before you board the place. Nope, adventure travel is filled with adrenaline, excitement, fear (depending on the activity), and it requires adequate physical and psychological preparation in order to remain a fond memory when you return home.
So naturally, this is not something you can organize on a lazy Sunday afternoon, nor is it something you can prepare for physically and mentally in a matter of days. Here to make your first adventure escapade as enjoyable and rewarding as possible is your foolproof guide to travelling on the wild side!
Prepare for the physical challenge
First things first, it’s important to understand that adventure travel is a physically-taxing challenge you shouldn’t try to take on without adequate training and preparation. Imagine trekking across vast mountain ranges in New Zealand, gliding against towering waves, or speeding through obstacle courses somewhere way deep in the countryside on your motorbike. Do these activities seem like something you could do right now if you had to? Probably not.
No, adventure activities require proper preparation in terms of physical strength and endurance, as well as acquiring the skills and knowledge needed to, well, stay safe and alive. With that in mind, you want to use the months and weeks leading to your trip to hit the gym or the park and do the exercises that will help you strengthen your body from head to toe.
Learn how to warm up properly using dynamic movements that mimic the activity you’ll be doing on your trip. Once your muscles, tendons, and joints are nice and warm, you can move on to the main workout. These workouts should help you develop a strong and stable core, a sturdy pair of legs (essential for everything from surfing to mountain-climbing), and a strong pair of arms.
You can focus on functional patterns that will help you develop total-body coordination and balance. Use plyometric exercises (jumping) in conjunction with explosive movements and a bit of strength training to build a strong body able to withstand the stress of adrenaline-filled activities. At the end of the day, relax with a restorative yoga session that will also help you develop a positive, unwavering mindset.
Get yourself in the right mindset
Speaking of developing a positive mindset, you can’t expect of your adventure escapade to be successful if your head is not in the right place. Remember, you won’t be lounging on a poolside swing with your favorite cocktail in hand, you will be testing your physical limits and battling the unknown every day of your trip, so you will need to build up the mental fortitude to prevent cracking under pressure. What’s more, a strong mindset will help you turn all that adrenaline into pure excitement and joy.
On the other hand, if you fail to prepare yourself mentally, you might abandon your quest for adventure before it even starts. You can develop the right mindset in two ways: physical training, and psychological training. The two will work in unison to prepare you for the challenge, so make sure to complement your training sessions with in-depth research.
Keep your energy levels topped off
One of the most important elements of a successful adventure is having enough physical energy to withstand its challenges. Although physical and mental training will play their vital parts in achieving this, you will also need to learn how to eat properly for maximum energy retention during the toughest of trials. With that in mind, you’ll want to eat and supplement accordingly.
Keep your nutrition simple and light, with rejuvenating foods you can digest easily without impeding your energy levels. As for supplementation, magnesium will be instrumental in helping your body stay energized during those lengthy adrenaline-fueled challenges.
Even if you’re just trekking for distance, you will need a steady influx of energy, so remember to bring only quality magnesium supplements with you and put them in a place where you can easily reach them so that you can supplement every day to get the best results. Aside from aiding ATP (energy) production in your body, magnesium is also essential for a myriad of healthy bodily processes, especially in athletes and people undergoing physical stress. Which you will be doing, so remember to eat wholesome foods and supplement properly to prevent injury and fatigue.
Research the destination and the activity
When it comes to travel preparations, research is one of the most important and enjoyable, parts. This is your chance to learn as much as you can about the destination and the activities that await. It’s an opportunity to gain the relevant insights that will help you have the time of your life while staying safe throughout your journey.
Firstly, go ahead and dig up everything you can about the destination. Find the best spots for your preferred activity, research the weather conditions and the topography, and find the best instructors. After that, you can take your research a step further by posting questions on adventure travel forums and chatting with people who have already completed these challenges. Their insights might prove invaluable to your preparation, and help you get the biggest bang for your buck.
Don’t forget to research everything there is about the activity itself, and find out what skills, rules, and safety precautions you need to follow in order to have a successful and rewarding adventure.
Make personal safety a priority
When it comes to adventure travel, safety should be your no.1 priority. It’s one thing to be a daredevil, and another to be a stupid daredevil. Don’t be the latter. Be smart about this and dig up everything you need to know about how to stay safe during your travels. This includes obtaining all of the necessary safety equipment, packing useful gadgets, and bringing essential survival gear with you.
But most importantly, you need to get yourself to the doctor before you set sail. There is no excuse for not paying your doctor a visit and asking them whether or not you are well enough to take on an adventure escapade like this. Ask for their honest opinion, get the necessary examinations done, and get all critical areas fixed before you go – it will make all the difference.
Travelling in search of adrenaline and adventure is one of the most satisfying and fulfilling experiences. While everyone else is lounging at the pool or struggling to read tiny descriptions in overly-crowded museums, why not do something completely different and take on an adventurous trip of a lifetime? With this guide in hand, the only thing left to do is to make that decisive first step.