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Fit to Shed Hunt
Shed season is here! No more confusion and bewilderment about what to do after deer season closes until it is time to chase turkeys in the spring. Go lace up your boots, grab a pack and start searching for sheds! This activity is also a great way to boost fitness for turkey season and unload some holiday pounds. To maximize your time in the woods, here are some exercises to help you get the most out of your extended scouting trips this winter.
Lunge Squat Lunge
This move will build balanced leg strength and muscular endurance to help you traverse hills, ridge tops and thick bedding areas. No equipment needed. To perform, step back into a reverse lunge, bring your rear foot forward into a shoulder width stance, perform a body weight squat then perform a reverse lunge on the other leg. Start out with two to three sets of 10 to 20 total reps per set.
Front Farmer's Carry
We hope the goal is to find enough sheds to make for a heavy pack. This may not impact the whitetail hunters as much, but elk sheds…are HEAVY. Either way, the front farmer’s carry is a great way to build core strength and off-set the stress heavy packs put on our low back. To perform, grab a dumbbell or kettlebell and cup it with your hands. Keep your elbows at your sides and walk. You will be forced to keep your abdominal muscles tensed throughout the set. Start with 20 yards and work up to distance of 100 yards per set. Repeat two to three times.
Lateral Dynamic Step
This low level plyometric is excellent for building explosive power. What this means is that your muscles become like rubber bands under tension. Each step generates more power, and you use less energy over the course of your shed hunting trip. To perform, stand with the step on your right side, place your right foot on it and push up and over so your left foot lands on the step. Then press up and over with the left leg so your right foot once again lands on the step. Once you experience the difference, this move will become a staple in your conditioning program. If new to exercise, start with one to two sets of 10 second reps. For more advanced exercisers, perform three sets of 30 to 45 seconds.
Log Some Miles
Lastly, you cannot beat good old-fashioned walking or hiking to build conditioning. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a total of 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Try not to get lost in the numbers but look to get three sessions per week of at least 30 minutes. If that still sounds too daunting, start smaller. I once started a client on just three minutes of walking and eventually got her to thirty+ minutes per day.
Greater levels of fitness will always increase your enjoyment of the outdoors no matter the activity. Our Base Conditioning Program is a great way to build balanced fitness before you take to the woods. You can also email us your fitness or nutrition questions to info@stayfittohunt.com.
Good luck, find lots of sheds and stay #FitToHunt!