2024: Plan your adventures today for better performance tomorrow

Santa is making a list and checking it twice. He is a thorough elf and while you may be preoccupied with the holiday season as well, we are going to point out a few things that may help you not only plan your outdoor adventures for 2024 but create the physical conditioning to have your best outdoor year ever! Are you ready? Here we go!

It’s never too early to think about turkeys

It may feel like March is a longtime away but in reality, you will be chasing spring gobblers before you know it. Since we began hunting in Texas, our season starts before the weather in Missouri where we come from, even feels like Spring. Same for those of you chasing Osceola’s in Florida. If you are not sure of when your season opens or are looking to plan an out-of-state hunt, visit Turkeyseason.com. Not only do they have a ton of cool resources but their The Map section will allow you to see season dates across the country along with the cost of both in and out of state tags and regulations.

Your elk trip begins now

Yes, you need to actually draw that tag, but your physical preparation for September starts in January. For many hunters, a coveted elk tag may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so aside from procuring the proper gear you should also be considering your physical fitness. If you wait until July to begin training, you will be disappointed with your experience on the mountain. We suggest starting with a program that focuses on building a strong foundation of fitness and slowly adding frequency of workouts, intensity of workouts and duration of your training over an eight month time period. It reduces the risk of injury, allows for a linear progression and ensures you will be in peak condition on day one of your hunt. Find a fitness professional who understands these concepts and get to work. You will never be upset with that investment.

Don’t forget fishing

Fit to fish? We get laughed at but you might be shocked by the number of people we have helped who are avid fisherman. Issues we often see are:

• Rotator cuff pain in fly fisherman
• Low back pain or weak core muscles that lead to back pain
• Poor balance that makes fly or stream fishing near impossible
• The inability to load, unload and paddle kayaks

These are not high volume, high intensity programs. I have never seen the need to prescribe burpees for a fisherman but I do focus on the following when it comes to workouts for fishing:

• Major muscle groups and movement patterns (Squat, deadlifts and pulling/rowing movements)
• Athletic movements like ladder drills and balance exercises
• Core movements like heavy farmer’s carries, planks and birddogs
• Pre-rehab moves that will strengthen the tiny muscles of the shoulder

We are heading to Bennett Springs, a trout park located in Southwest Missouri in July, and as we traverse swift water, slippery rocks and uneven stream beds, we’ll be thankful for the workouts we did early in the year.

What else?

What is your outdoor pleasure? Hiking is a GREAT activity for getting in shape but it is also an activity that will provide a better experience if you are in shape before you go hiking? Not sure where to go, check out our article on Rucking that ran right here on GoWild! It will give you a step-by-step blueprint to use weighted hikes as a mean to enhance your recreational hikes. Oh, and are you planning an elk hunt? You can use those tips to prepare for the backcountry as well! Check it out and stark rucking!

Fitness on a budget

Not everyone can hire a personal trainer but you can access the knowledge of a professional coach through our DIY Hunt Specific Workout Programs. We offer programs for:

• Base conditioning
• Turkey Hunting
• Elk and Mule Deer
• Waterfowl
• Shoulder Health
• Outdoor Fitness Competitions
• Archery

And we have more programs in production. Our lowest priced program is only $4.99 and you can always get 10% off by using code GoWild10 at checkout! Want to learn more? Shoot us an email at info@stayfittohunt.com or pick up a DIY program at www.stayfittohunt.com.

And here is the other truth….you can learn a ton just by subscribing to our YouTube channel, being our friend here on GoWild or opting in to our FREE exercise of the week email. Pick up the best fitness, wellness and motivation tips simply by hanging out with us and being part of our community!

We really appreciate your friendship. Our mission is to help our friends get the most out of their outdoor adventures, prepare for the hunt of a lifetime and hunt for a lifetime. From all of the coaches at Fit To Hunt, Merry Chistmas and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in 2024!