OR GETTING IN TRIM FOR MY TRIP
ALERT: I CANNOT BELIEVE I FORGOT TO POST THIS BEFORE LEAVING! IT ALL GOT A BIT (VERY) HECTIC AND THIS IS SO IMPORTANT! FORGIVE ME I’LL HOPEFULLY SORT MYSELF OUT, I’VE BEEN A VERY BAD OLD BIRD.
It’s no good pretending we are as fit as we used to be, and frankly, if you’re going it alone you must get as fit as you can. You obviously should always follow a sensible health regime but hey, we’re not going to be goody gum drops at our age are we? So to rectify the gobbling of heavy meals and the slurping of too much booze and try to get as fit as possible before leaving. For me it’s swimming and the gym and a slightly more sensible diet and dwinky regime.
This can be tedious but with your reward in mind it’s easier to stick to than you think.
For those going on a Baby Steps trip then you’ll need to concentrate on stamina ( schlepping round those museums and sights is hard! ) and strangely balance. I’ve noticed I can sometimes be a little light headed and wobbly after flying and balance exercises can really help. This also applies for the Nippy Trips where there are slippery surfaces to negotiate. it’s more about your confidence really.
These can easily be done at home. Ten steps toe to toe forward then backwards. Repeat three times. Then, as your confidence improves, with your eyes closed! Amazingly you can do it, with squinty eyes at the beginning no doubt but, you’ll get there trust me. They also have wobble balls at gyms which are good too but remember to have something to grab if you go too wobbly!! At your local gym you can request to be shown around the equipment and how to use bits for your own programme. They are very helpful and can give you all the info you need to create a safe work out to suit your needs. Don’t feel intimidated by all the pros, the ones that are muscle bound usually have very small brains. You’ll need to start small if you’re new to all this but it’s a vital part of the confidence and stamina building preparing you for your trip
On Hot Trips where you’ll be swimming so obviously go to your local pool and swim! Ask if you can practise with a mask and snorkel if you want too. It’s so much more interesting if you can look underwater and maybe take photos there too, it’ll add immeasurably to your experience! Also hot yoga could be a good way to acclimatise and exercise your stamina for warmer environments .
Quite often there are opportunities to see fabulous things ……but after a hike of some kind.
In Thailand on my last day I decided to squeeze in a jungle hike. It was extremely strenuous and involved a lot of climbing up over rocks and tree roots on a very thin mountain trail. It was also very fast. As I had wanted to be able to take photos along the way I stopped from time to time and got somewhat left behind. I ran to catch up and tripped on a concealed tree root, and as I fell, it broke my big toe. I was covered with grazes and bleeding too. Whilst shaking myself down, and the guide rubbing some old leaf on me saying it would stop the bleeding, saw I had narrowly missed plummeting to my death as there was a sheer drop that was also concealed by dense jungle flora. The adrenaline hit lasted for about the half hour more it took to get to the icy waterfall pool where then the pain hit. swimming in the icy water helped but then I had to climb up and over a massive boulder to reach our lunch and mountain descent point. Needless to say I had to forego my jungle rafting and anything that involved more than a few steps walking.
I had to have a wheelchair at all airports and especially for the tight connection at Bangkok- no pun intended- and had a very stressful flight back thinking it would explode with the swelling. The moral of this story is don’t get flash and over-reach. Check with the guide this is suitable for you.I am very used to going it alone and it’s foul when you get pushed to go more quickly rather than enjoying the moment. This is why I avoid any tours, but sadly for some expeditions you can’t get a private guide tour and have to go with a ghastly group.In Malaysia, the Bako National Park was great as it had the jungle trails marked on trees in different colours for the different routes so you could go at your own pace. Old birds are fit enough but hate being hurried!!!
Obviously check with your doc the suitability of the exercise and indeed trip right from the get go. I have a good old M.O.T. with mine and chat over with the clinics nurse about any shots I need, (no not tequila shots!) how the old blood pressure is going, and my cholesterol. I go back after a couple of weeks after having been on my fitness regime, and have a final check whilst picking up any meds I might need for this wonderful new adventure I’m going on. I’m always amazed at the improvement in just about everything and feel proud as a peacock!
Alert: am preparing for my South America trip right now and have had my yellow fever jab done and am waiting on my Hep A booster. The malaria situation over there is endemic so unlike in Asia I’m picking up tablets for the duration of my journey and DEET from the Boots where I had all my other jabs that you can’t get on the NHS. They will give you all your paperwork of this which is handy to give to your doc to update your medical record
BE WELL MY OLD BIRDS, BE SAFE AND KEEP SMILING. OVER AND OUT FROM A CONFUSED BUT HEALTHY OLD BIRD YOUR PAL REBECCA XXXXX
Old Bird Travels Solo! 