Camino Pilgrim

You can have the most expensive ultralight gear on you, but when it comes down to walking the Camino it is all about how good your physical preparation is.

If you want to cut down on gear weight, then the best place to start is the excess fat you carry around your waist. Your knees will thank you. Every additional kilogram of bodyweight is 3 kilos on the knees (in running).

Hiking the Camino does not require for you to be an athlete. I have met senior citizens do thousands of kilometers from their home doorstep towards Santiago. What you need is realistic expectations on what your body can handle on the trail.

Talking to seniors has also given me a lot of wisdom of what it comes down to in our daily routines to hike certain distances on the Camino.

You want to hike 20km daily on the Camino?

Most recommended daily distances in guidebooks are around 20 to 25 kilometers per day. You can also do less, but on the Camino Frances you need to be able to do at least 17 kilometers in one day. It is very possible for an obese person to do this, but you will need to get into the habit of walking.

If you have several months left until the Camino, then start by walking 5 kilometers per day. That is around 8000 steps every single day. No matter the weather. Bad weather is just a good opportunity for you to test out your gear. This way your joints will be used to constant motion and produce enough fluid for the knees to stay healthy during these 20km walks on the Camino.

If you have only one month to prepare for the Camino then you should do at least 8 kilometers per day (around 12 000 steps daily).

You want to do more than the average pilgrim and walk 30km daily?

Overweight pilgrims can manage this long distance, but you really need to be determined in your daily walks. The goal is to do at least 10 kilometers every day for at least three months (around 14 000 steps daily).

The easiest way to pull this off is to do two or three walks per day. One hour of walking in the morning before work and one hour in the evening. Doing all in one go is more realistic on the weekends when you have more time for yourself.

You want to go beast mode and walk 40km daily?

The assumption here is that you are in normal weight or at least closer to it than to obesity (based on Body Mass Index). Weight is important because otherwise you will put yourself in serious risk of injury if doing these kind of distances in a row on the Camino.

From physical preparation side you will need to do 14 kilometers daily for a year (around 20 000 steps every single day). Your body will be like a mean lean walking machine. I have seen senior citizens pull this off, so you can too if you stay persistent. Finding enough time for three or more hours of walking every day will become a real challenge. Get creative and then on the Camino you will be able to leave everyone in your dust.