Walking to Santiago de Compostela... Will I succeed?

Prehistoric times have never been this far away from us.

Moving is in our genes, that is what we have done for millions of years: walking, hunting, fishing, collecting food. But since the last fifty years, due to all technological developments, we have started to move less and less. This has led to many more chronic diseases compared to 500 years ago.

Are you also immediately rushing to a seat in the bus?

All that sitting is bad for our health, that’s a given. Also, this custom has its origins in prehistoric times. Laziness increased the chance of survival, it saved energy in a living environment with little food. You never knew if you had something to eat tomorrow. We are genetically protected against scarcity, not against abundance. And that’s why you sit down if you can. As if we still live in scarcity.

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.

A healthier lifestyle does not necessarily mean that you have to train for a marathon. It just comes down to making some small smart choices, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Moreover, research shows that walking is as healthy as running. Unless you have worn knees, there is no reason not to walk. Our body is made to move. According to doctors, movement is always the number one remedy for all ailments.

I am not fit: can I still start my pilgrimage?

In general, there is no problem to leave on pilgrimage without preparation if you already are an active person. For people who are not very active in daily life, it is important to gradually build up walking distances. Obviously, the earlier the better. In concrete terms, this means that you should start your preparations about 6 months in advance. And the key to success is to have a step by step preparation. A little bit more every day.

If you do not have time to train for your camino, you can possibly just go ahead with it but you will have to customize your walking stages. The first week you start with more modest distances per day. A normal distance per day on the camino is about 20 kilometres. To build up slowly you can start the first week with one day walking 5-10 kilometres and a resting day the next day. So that your body can adjust slowly to the sudden intense exercise. The second week you walk a longer distance and the third week you just walk every day. And all this in combination with healthy food and lots of water of course.

Do you want to know if it is possible to walk shorter distances and split up stages on your desired route? Please contact us (info@spainismore.com) and we would like to propose a tailor-made trip. We also provide luggage transport so you do not have to walk with your heavy backpack all the time. Every year people of all ages, one fitter than the other, succeed in their Camino! Nevertheless, a good preparation is definitely recommended to minimize the risk of injuries on the camino.

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