This video is all about fitness for the Everest Base Camp trek. Are you fit enough for Base Camp already, what can you do to get ready, how to fit fitness into your working life and what to do on the trail to help you recover from a day's walking. All so you can enjoy the experience more.

I’m joined for this by Rachel, one of our adventure travel consultants. Rachel previously worked as a personal trainer so she is the ideal person for helping me get into shape.

What level of fitness do I need to have for the Everest Base Camp treks?

We have a couple of Base Camp treks to Everest. The classic one is a level 7 so you do want to have a good active hill walker level of fitness and be prepared for 6 to 7 hours days and consecutive days of walking. However, at the same time a lot of the routes are well-trodden paths so that does make it slightly easier than higher graded treks.

What can I do to train for the Everest Base Camp trek?

I love cardio, taking the dog out and getting out in the hills. Walking is probably the most underrated form of exercise. We can all go for a walk and build up from there so if you’re in the Lakes, like we are, it’s very easy to get out and go for a walk, swim or cycle. Anything to get your cardiovascular fitness up. We want you to be fit for the trek because the fitter you are, the more likely you are to enjoy it; you’re not going to be struggling out of breath and you'll be able to enjoy the scenery more.

We are very lucky to live in the Lakes and run around the fells, but if we live somewhere flat, what can we do to improve our fitness?

Even here a mix of cardio and a weight lifting is great. If you live in a city and are going to the gym then I’d suggest walking on an incline on a treadmill and while I know not many people like the step master, it is a really good one for hillwalking. After that you might want to do a bit of swimming or cycling with some resistance training.

If you can get away for a weekend before the hillwalking then that’s ideal. It’s not just the fitness, it’s also the footing. Hill walking is very different to walking on the flat or an incline on a treadmill.

What can I do while I’m on the trail to recover?

First your guides will provide you with lots of hydration and food. Things like nuts, chocolates and snacks are great. It’s also important to rest in the evening and stretching is great as well, even a bit of yoga to stretch off and just relax. Even a good nights sleep is so important, but I’m sure it won’t be a problem because you’ll probably be tired out.

Thank you so much Rachel, it was great to look at the fitness. Even if you live in a city you can get fit for a trek to Everest Base Camp. If you have any questions about fitness for Everest Base Camp or any other treks/activities then give us a call and you can speak to Rachel.