A seasoned veteran probably wouldn't need as much pre trip training as a beginner. This stuff hardens you. I've seen young healthy guys crumble, and they all still talk to me. HaHa
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Physical Conditioning for Canoe Tripping
- Thread starter dcloots
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This is a timely question. I think I did my last lake paddle, of the year, last week. Took the racks off my truck and put my IK in my basement.
I've been doing some off the water paddling exercises anyway. Not just exercises for paddling, but for loading the boat and even getting in and out of the canoe. I have a rowing machine that I use one hand at a time and am thinking about rigging it up with a bladeless canoe paddle. I also do bent over one arm dumbell rows. I do an exercise where, starting with the dumbells at my sides, I curl them (without turning them) then press them over my head. I do another dumbell exercise where I start with the dumbells to my sides, with my arms bent, and raise my arms to the side.
To help me get in and out of a canoe (or chair) I sit on my cooler and do repetitions of getting up without using my hands. I also sit in a chair with arms and use my arms to repeatedly lift my butt off the seat.
The replies so far seem to confirm the old sayings, "use it or lose it", "you are what you eat" and "sleep well live long".
G.
G.
At 72 I mostly do yard work and lift some weights.
We go slower now. More lay over days, more floating and less paddling.
Pace is important. All of my friends that go on trips are in pretty good shape.
We go slower now. More lay over days, more floating and less paddling.
Pace is important. All of my friends that go on trips are in pretty good shape.
My last gig before retirement was a native plant landscaping company. I used to use a big steel landscape rake for leveling and cleaning up sites. I could use paddling like strokes to move a large amount of dirt. Over the years I had well developed latimmus dorsi muscles. They are still there after all of these years.
I can tell you what kind of training doesn’t go with paddling...powerlifting! Which is how I train...big quads go numb while kneeling, crossdraws become a mobility issue, and carrying around 270lbs on a 5’8” frame on portages basically sucks. But I enjoy both.
You wouldn’t necessarily know it by looking at me but I’m into running and triathlons. Done 3 marathons thus far and do at least 2 half-marathons every year. Just short triathlons, not committing enough to attempt an Ironman.
Never quite realized how that level of fitness greatly enhanced my canoe tripping until I went with someone who wasn’t very fit. Realized I could run circles around them without breaking a sweat. Then the swimming. Already had to perform a long swim to recover a free drifting canoe. We would have been screwed as we were on an island.
Never quite realized how that level of fitness greatly enhanced my canoe tripping until I went with someone who wasn’t very fit. Realized I could run circles around them without breaking a sweat. Then the swimming. Already had to perform a long swim to recover a free drifting canoe. We would have been screwed as we were on an island.
I'm a wimp compared to you triathalon runners, but I do have a workout that improves my paddling fitness.
I had an incident 6 or 7 years ago that shocked me into an exercise routine. Six or seven years ago we went to a square dance in W.Va. I whooped it up and got my heart rate up to 160 (too much for a guy my age). Next morning we were walking the dogs and my wife found me sitting on the ground confused and disoriented. The rescue squad came, and when they asked my age I told them I was 37 -- that was important diagnostic information! I was admitted to the W.Va. hospital overnight with a diagnosis of altered mental status. They ran a bunch of tests and couldn't find anything wrong. I was so bored I walked laps around the cardiac ward and counted paces.
After I got home, I had to wear a 30 day heart monitor. The doctors said I couldn't drive. I dragged my old bicycle out of the shed and planned to ride a few miles to the National Forest and hunt squirrels. Then I found out how badly out of shape I was. I started working out at the Y, and doubled my poundage on the weight machines within a year. The heart monitor and other tests back home were inconclusive, and the docs decided I had gotten dehydrated from too much square dancing.
I stopped going to the Y because of the pandemic, and just started back last summer. Part of my motivation was to follow up with strengthening exercises after physical therapy for a paddling-related shoulder injury.
I only make it to the gym twice a week because I live a long way from civilization, but I have a 1.5-2 hour workout routine. I start with 5 laps walking around the indoor track for warm-up. Then I run through 10 or 12 weight machines focusing on specific upper and lower body muscle groups. I finish with at least half an hour on the stationary bike for cardio.
The Y has new exercise bikes with video screens that simulate bicycle races of all levels of difficulty. You can get your pedal RPMs, heart rate, and speed in real time, as well as shifting gears to simulate a real multi-speed bike. They are way, way cool and divert my attention away from the TV.
I had been putzing along on an easy race for a few months. Last week I decided to try a more challenging one. The manufacturer of the machines sponsors challenges among various fitness clubs. Our local small town Y was the first place team in the US in last year's competition. Now there is an international competition, so I decided to participate.
I did a 6.9 mile ride in 41 minutes, for an average speed just a shade over 10 mph. I was not the fastest rider, but neither was I the slowest. My average heart rate was 114, which is in a good aerobic training range for an old fart.
Not Superman, but not too shabby for someone pushing 75 with a short stick.
I had an incident 6 or 7 years ago that shocked me into an exercise routine. Six or seven years ago we went to a square dance in W.Va. I whooped it up and got my heart rate up to 160 (too much for a guy my age). Next morning we were walking the dogs and my wife found me sitting on the ground confused and disoriented. The rescue squad came, and when they asked my age I told them I was 37 -- that was important diagnostic information! I was admitted to the W.Va. hospital overnight with a diagnosis of altered mental status. They ran a bunch of tests and couldn't find anything wrong. I was so bored I walked laps around the cardiac ward and counted paces.
After I got home, I had to wear a 30 day heart monitor. The doctors said I couldn't drive. I dragged my old bicycle out of the shed and planned to ride a few miles to the National Forest and hunt squirrels. Then I found out how badly out of shape I was. I started working out at the Y, and doubled my poundage on the weight machines within a year. The heart monitor and other tests back home were inconclusive, and the docs decided I had gotten dehydrated from too much square dancing.
I stopped going to the Y because of the pandemic, and just started back last summer. Part of my motivation was to follow up with strengthening exercises after physical therapy for a paddling-related shoulder injury.
I only make it to the gym twice a week because I live a long way from civilization, but I have a 1.5-2 hour workout routine. I start with 5 laps walking around the indoor track for warm-up. Then I run through 10 or 12 weight machines focusing on specific upper and lower body muscle groups. I finish with at least half an hour on the stationary bike for cardio.
The Y has new exercise bikes with video screens that simulate bicycle races of all levels of difficulty. You can get your pedal RPMs, heart rate, and speed in real time, as well as shifting gears to simulate a real multi-speed bike. They are way, way cool and divert my attention away from the TV.
I had been putzing along on an easy race for a few months. Last week I decided to try a more challenging one. The manufacturer of the machines sponsors challenges among various fitness clubs. Our local small town Y was the first place team in the US in last year's competition. Now there is an international competition, so I decided to participate.
I did a 6.9 mile ride in 41 minutes, for an average speed just a shade over 10 mph. I was not the fastest rider, but neither was I the slowest. My average heart rate was 114, which is in a good aerobic training range for an old fart.
Not Superman, but not too shabby for someone pushing 75 with a short stick.
I am pretty young at 57. So for canoe tripping conditioning I utilize walking the hilly terrain of our woods with my dog Jake. He has helped stay fit as he needs to be exercised, so we walk 2-4 miles in the hilly timber 4-5 days a week year round. Also, as I get closer to a trip, I start to practice carrying loads with my tump, while Jake is connected to me by a leash. This gets my body ready for the trip and reminds Jake he can not just run free, he helps pull me up steep terrain, or is careful to stay close when I tump heavy loads over boulder gardens so I do not fall.
We also practice paddling and portaging. Lastly, we practice portaging the canoe while he is leashed to me up and down my drive way ( 1/8 mile long ) several times a week. He gets used to proper behavior and I get used to walking a half mile with a canoe and pack so our first days on a trip do not wipe me out while get trail broke.
Bob.
We also practice paddling and portaging. Lastly, we practice portaging the canoe while he is leashed to me up and down my drive way ( 1/8 mile long ) several times a week. He gets used to proper behavior and I get used to walking a half mile with a canoe and pack so our first days on a trip do not wipe me out while get trail broke.
Bob.
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I've found that paddling requires far less cardio vascular fitness than my other sports.
But I think that depends on how powerful a paddler you are and how hard you are trying.
A strong paddler, going hard, is going to put a bigger demand on their heart and lungs than a guy like me just cruising down the river.
I've rigged up canoe paddles, with the blades cut off, on my Total Gym, and do canoe strokes, on one side, to muscle failure, then switch sides and do the same. I Switch back and forth a few times.
I then work on the backpaddling muscles a bit.
Sometimes I vary the slope, and therefore the resistance, so I get both muscle strength training and muscle endurance training.
Since I'm getting old, I also work on my ability to get in and out of the canoe and loading it onto my roof rack.
But I think that depends on how powerful a paddler you are and how hard you are trying.
A strong paddler, going hard, is going to put a bigger demand on their heart and lungs than a guy like me just cruising down the river.
I've rigged up canoe paddles, with the blades cut off, on my Total Gym, and do canoe strokes, on one side, to muscle failure, then switch sides and do the same. I Switch back and forth a few times.
I then work on the backpaddling muscles a bit.
Sometimes I vary the slope, and therefore the resistance, so I get both muscle strength training and muscle endurance training.
Since I'm getting old, I also work on my ability to get in and out of the canoe and loading it onto my roof rack.
You can certainly get your heart rate up in a canoe if you want to.
When I first started kayak/canoe racing I found it very interesting that with a double blade in a kayak I could easily get my heartrate up to 180 in a sprint and maintain 160 at race pace.
When I moved to the canoe, however, I struggled to get my heartrate over 135 no matter how hard I paddled. I worked on my technique and it wasn't long until I was hitting 170 in a sprint and 155 at race pace.
Alan
Well, in the interest of full disclosure, I have to confess that I misunderstood the standings displayed on the fancy video exercise bike. I was only in the middle of the pack in the 20 or so riders shown on the display. I rode again today and was #1308 nationally; out of how many I have no idea. For the local Y, I was about #34 out of 38. So I was toward the end of the pack, much more in line with my expectations. The folks bringing up the rear were 10 minutes behind me.
I still feel really good about my workout. The important thing is that I did it, and pushed myself beyond what I had done before. My average HR today was 120, a couple beats above my theoretical training range.
Idiot Savant, it's true that cardiovascular fitness is less important for us casual cruisers who are not racing. But a cardio workout will also build strength and endurance, which are needed for cruising. Cardio is a good general index to fitness.
Most of you probably know the formula, but for those who don't, Max HR = 220 - your age. (This is a simple rule of thumb subject to many exceptions, and may have been superseded by new research. It's still handy.) So for me, Max HR = 220-74 = 146. A good cardio training range is a workout to 70-80% of max. My training range should be 102-117. If I got to 170 like Alan, I would probably explode, or at least collapse the next morning while walking the dog......
I still feel really good about my workout. The important thing is that I did it, and pushed myself beyond what I had done before. My average HR today was 120, a couple beats above my theoretical training range.
Idiot Savant, it's true that cardiovascular fitness is less important for us casual cruisers who are not racing. But a cardio workout will also build strength and endurance, which are needed for cruising. Cardio is a good general index to fitness.
Most of you probably know the formula, but for those who don't, Max HR = 220 - your age. (This is a simple rule of thumb subject to many exceptions, and may have been superseded by new research. It's still handy.) So for me, Max HR = 220-74 = 146. A good cardio training range is a workout to 70-80% of max. My training range should be 102-117. If I got to 170 like Alan, I would probably explode, or at least collapse the next morning while walking the dog......
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I've never worn my heartrate monitor while paddling.
When the ice melts, I'll have to try it.
Because of my age and the medication I'm on, since heart surgery, it would be impossible for me to get my heart rate that high.
In fact, I'm not really supposed to push my heart rate too high. I was told that if I can't carry on a conversation, I should back off.
You don't need a monitor. Just take your carotid pulse, count beats for 15 seconds, and multiply by 4. It's easier for me using a non-digital watch with a sweep second hand. That's what I did on that ill-fated night of square dancing in West Virginia to determine the 160 BPM.
Climbing hills with a pack I am now kind of slow.
But in a boat I am as good as I ever was.
But in a boat I am as good as I ever was.
Part of the fun of wearing a HRM in a canoe is the real-time feedback without stopping to check your heart beat. Combined with a GPS it can show you a lot.
Pick a heartrate (let's say 130) and paddle for 3 miles while maintaining that heartrate. While watching the GPS you can vary your stroke to see what's the most efficient. It doesn't take long until you figure out what works and what doesn't in terms of efficiency. Result: You're not working any harder but you're going faster.
Conversely you can pick a speed and maintain it. It can either be a fast speed for fitness or just your regular cruising speed. Hold that speed for 3 miles and, again, vary your stroke and try different things. Get your heartrate as low as you can while maintaining that speed.
You can't get accurate results if you only paddle 1/2 mile, especially if paddling hard. You need to exhaust that initially burst of energy.
Alan
Pick a heartrate (let's say 130) and paddle for 3 miles while maintaining that heartrate. While watching the GPS you can vary your stroke to see what's the most efficient. It doesn't take long until you figure out what works and what doesn't in terms of efficiency. Result: You're not working any harder but you're going faster.
Conversely you can pick a speed and maintain it. It can either be a fast speed for fitness or just your regular cruising speed. Hold that speed for 3 miles and, again, vary your stroke and try different things. Get your heartrate as low as you can while maintaining that speed.
You can't get accurate results if you only paddle 1/2 mile, especially if paddling hard. You need to exhaust that initially burst of energy.
Alan
A little like ppine, my winter regime is shovelling snow. Get it on the shovel, and then rotate the torso to fling it off the driveway. That would be great if we had any snow this winter! Likewise, back-country skiing is a great upper and lower body workout, good for all-round fitness and strength without bulking up too much.
That said, I'm notoriously bad at preparing for portages. Somehow I can't face loading up and deliberately carrying everything to get nowhere. And it always comes back to bite me. Will I ever learn?
That said, I'm notoriously bad at preparing for portages. Somehow I can't face loading up and deliberately carrying everything to get nowhere. And it always comes back to bite me. Will I ever learn?
A lot of wisdom here. I'm right with you (well, on the other side of L Champlain!)
I agree with this too.
While I am not a seasoned canoe tripper by any stretch I have been mostly active and athletic my entire life. I've slowed down rolling into my mid 60's now, but still in very good shape, esp after losing quite a bit of "living too large" weight over the past few years. Generally my joints are pretty good for my age, but I do have some shoulder injuries from many years of sports, tennis, baseball and tournament softball more recently. So I have to be careful.
Although I do some regular weight lifting with free weights, primarily dumb bells and/or a kettle bell, I've never been much of a gym rat or exercise machine creature. I much prefer to do "physical" things outdoors when ever possible, like I'll ride my mountain bike over an exercise bike every time. Even with chores around my property these days I tend to find more "difficult" ways to do things in order to stay more active and in shape. When clearing downed trees after a storm or hurricane and there's not too much to do or I have the time I'll buck a log with a hand saw or an axe instead of a chainsaw. Then I'll typically hand carry the logs to my splitting area or a burn pile vs using my tractor. I don't have a hydraulic splitter either, I'll use a maul or splitting axe as appropriate. I'll carry 50lb bags of feed corn grass seed from my truck or garage to where I disperse it instead of loading them into the bucket on my tractor and driving. I'm also an avid bowhunter and when I hunt elevated stands I climb the tree with an arborist rope and friction hitches vs using a climbing stand or ladder. I do my own arborist chores too, climbing trees with ropes etc. I think that sort of approach maintains more useful "core" strength and endurance vs isolated muscle group exercises on machines.
Anyway, I think people that were relatively sedentary when they were younger tend to be worse off as they age when the metabolism and hormones add to recovery times following vigorous exercise or less frequent exertion. Those that have been more active throughout life tend to fair better and are able to get back into shape quicker and with less risk of injury.
Injury though is the key. You have to do the most you can to avoid getting injured. For me that's daily stretching and exercise while gradually working up to more intense levels, but not so much to risk injury or actually hurt myself. Once you incur an injury then things can get a lot more complicated, more so without proper recovery. Otherwise you just compound the injuries until it becomes more or less debilitating.
As they say getting old is not easy, but it beats the alternative...
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Thank you, all. This has been a great encouragement for me. I retire the end of this month and will have more time to get in better shape.
I’ve been paddling a few hours every weekend and walking more. I will start again carrying portage packs with bags of rice in them, and also carrying the canoe up and down the road. Last summer I was carrying the canoe a half mile every other day.
A couple of health problems have set me back, but this thread has given me strength to be optimistic again. Like many of you, I am turning 70 this year. That seems to be a big number. Gerald, at 85, you are an inspiration!!!
I’ve been paddling a few hours every weekend and walking more. I will start again carrying portage packs with bags of rice in them, and also carrying the canoe up and down the road. Last summer I was carrying the canoe a half mile every other day.
A couple of health problems have set me back, but this thread has given me strength to be optimistic again. Like many of you, I am turning 70 this year. That seems to be a big number. Gerald, at 85, you are an inspiration!!!
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