Trekking for charity is proving more popular than ever and If you’ve decided to take part in a charity trek you are going to need to get yourself mentally and physically in shape.

As treks can vary massively in distance, location, terrain, altitude and even time of year, it’s important that you prepare as well as you can for your charity trek.

If you live in a town or city, it’s not that easy to get out and practice on the kind of terrain you’re likely to be trekking through, but don’t let that put you off. The best thing you can do (aside from breaking in your walking boots of course!) is get yourself fit.

Aerobic exercise of any type will really help get you fit and your heart in shape ready to take on your trek, even if you do it on a bike, in the pool, or on the rowing machine. We also recommend you try and do as much walking as possible, to get your leg muscles tuned and prepared for your trek. This could be as simple as walking to/from work, during your lunch hour, or just generally increasing your activity levels, tracked on a pedometer.

Strength exercises focused on building strong legs will also really help you get the endurance you’ll need.

If you can, do try and get out for a few really long walks in preparation for your trek. Not only can you practice going a longer distance than usual, it’ll also give you a good practical idea of whether you’ve got the right kit, how hungry you get, how much water you will need, and most importantly help break in your boots (we can't stress that one enough).

Happy feet equals a happy trekker!