Thread: Hunting fitness

Good thread, thank you. I, for one, detest formalised training of any sort. I keep up my general fitness by incorporating exercise in my daily routine. At 63, it’s important not to overdo it but spread it out over the day and week. I’ll carry out tasks manually instead of using mechanical means eg, there’s another 50t plus of gravel to go on the driveway so I’ll get it in by the trailer load and spread it by hand at a ton or so at a time. I’ll split and carry firewood by hand, push mow the lawns instead of the ride on, carry a day pack, even if it’s just a short hunt and make sure it includes some hill work. One very important thing also is to move with purpose when mobile, especially when you’re older. Don’t dawdle or slob around, it’s habit forming. I think I read something about maintaining your fast twitch muscles and currently I still walk around like I did thirty years ago.
The one structured thing I have always enjoyed though, is swimming. Got into it late in life but can’t recommend it enough for keeping the whole body limber and good for your mental health as well. In general, I just try to maintain core strength, flexibility, got myself a wobble board after an Achilles injury, to help improve my balance and maintain ankle strength and am currently going down the rabbit hole of stationary trainers for the road bike that’s hanging in the shed. I’ll never ride that on the road again but I think it’ll be worthwhile a couple or three times a week, especially when the weather is shite, to blow the cobwebs out, burn some calories and keep up the knee strength.
A random mix of everything really.