I consider myself fortunate since my knees and back are still in good shape but I’ll be turning 74 before I get to Woodland Caribou and the BWCA this year.
I’ve recently started carrying a pack with 30 pounds or so when I go on my walks through the woods just to keep my legs in shape, but just wondering if any of you have found it worthwhile to do any upper body conditioning to help with paddling/portaging?

Never spent any time in a gym since I grew up on a farm and then worked in delivery.

Shoulder presses are good for portage and paddling conditioning.

Lunges, lots of lunges.

My wife/bow machine and I are both 73 this year. We joined a gym last fall, feeling we needed better upper-body conditioning after last summer's Quetico trip. We worked several sessions with personal trainers, then got into a 3 sessions/week routine, in addition to our hiking, etc. We have a paddling trip in Okefenokee in a couple weeks, and will report if the improvement we think we have is actually demonstrated in the canoe. Our objective is to keep single-walking portages for a few more years.

TZ

For upper body I do push-ups, supine pull-ups and curls to presses using dumbbells couple times a week.
Everyday is leg day for a longer healthier life.

Most of our guys are now in their late 50's and mid to late 60's. Preparing for a trip is looking over the maps to find a campsite/lake with one short portage or no portage!

I also worry about not doing enough to be ready for our trip. So far we’ve done ok, although I will admit I am slower going up hills and over rocky areas than I used to be. Besides some extra weight, I also have some knee issues. And this year we are starting at the Missing Link entry.

So besides increasing slope on the treadmill, I’ve been going up/ down the steps more often, starting some upper body/ shoulder exercises, and now that our snow is gone, I’ll be adding weight in a pack while walking the dog. I don’t want to rely on the sherpas for too much (my son and his wife).

Interesting that this topic comes up periodically.

Myself, I prep for the coming season by walking and swimming laps year round. And I am about ready to start carrying a 60# canoe around the local nature center. I start out carrying the canoe for shorter distances and use a few rests, working my way up to non-stop portaging for 1/3 mile. I have found this does a lot to prepare me for portaging and general conditioning for tripping. This routine has served me well for the last 8 years, so I will continue it as long as I am tripping. At age 76 I am most concerned about the arthritis in both hands/wrists.

I'll be turning 74 before my next trip as well (July). And like you, I've been lucky in terms of knees and back. I know on this forum we all come in different shapes and sizes, and life has a way of dealing out jokers when you least expect it, so what works for some may not work for others. I do think core strength is a must for anyone, however, whether you are canoeing, or just living your life in general.

I'm 5' 6" tall and weigh 150, not really a Grizzly Adams, so I have to distribute weight and triple portage on my solos. During the year I do pushups, or lift 30 lb weights (like curls) every other day. Each day I do crunches. I run (well, jog) 3 miles 5 days a week and then there's Ellie, our coonhound/lab. She takes me another 3 - 4 miles at least each day. Oh, and I make a daily habit of stretching for five minutes - a great time investment.

I wish all of us continued health and enjoyment on the water, and in life, for as long as possible.

Dave

I would focus more on legs and core exercises as others have mentioned. Squats, lunges, curls and push-ups. Find exercises you can do consistently and what works for you. Keep moving. Aim for ten to twelve thousand steps per day.

Building muscle is key. I would focus more on that than cardio - particularly if you're trying to shed pounds. And make sure you get plenty of protein in in your diet. Maybe 1g per pound of your ideal body weight. Not easy to do.

Further to that, don't ignore nutrition and metabolic health. Avoid sugar in all its 230 forms (and names) as well as seed oils. Shop on the perimeter of your grocery store to avoid ultra-processed foods that are replete with these ingredients if you want to lose weight and avoid type II diabetes and all of the wretched limitations it will saddle you with. It will extend your years in the woods.

What is it you guys do in your 60's and 70's that takes that much conditioning?

ockycamper: "What is it you guys do in your 60's and 70's that takes that much conditioning?"

Our typical 10-day trip covers 100+ miles and may include more than 40 portages, which we currently single-walk. Conditioning (legs, core, and upper-body) will let us keep that up for several more years.

TZ

ockycamper: "What is it you guys do in your 60's and 70's that takes that much conditioning?"

It's called aging past your prime. Proper nutrition and exercise will help slow it down. These are the years when you can't afford to coast - particularly when your goal is continued adventures in canoe country.

Edit: I just noticed from your profile that you're about seven years "more experienced" than me. I think I see your question from a different perspective now.

I am a big believer that there is no better way to prepare for hiking with a load on your back than actually putting in some miles carrying weight on your back. For years, I have used a 50 lb bag of concrete in a small backpack to prep for backpacking trips.

Other than that, I focus on core strength and balance exercises.

Argo: "

ockycamper: "What is it you guys do in your 60's and 70's that takes that much conditioning?"

It's called aging past your prime. Proper nutrition and exercise will help slow it down. These are the years when you can't afford to coast - particularly when your goal is continued adventures in canoe country.

Edit: I just noticed from your profile that you're about seven years "more experienced" than me. I think I see your question from a different perspective now.
"

My wife has a question she asks me when I try to do something I did in my 30's: "what has this taught you?".

I still go to Planet Fitness every day and ride my bike when weather allows. But I accept that you can get your muscles in shape. . . but your bones, back, etc are still (in my case) 67 years old. In my 30's I rafted the class 5's on the Gauley River in West Virginnia each September in a wet suit. I don't do that now.

I go with a group of guys that are all around my age. Most of us are trained in survival, wilderness camping, and emergency first aid/trauma. But for me, I am not hanging on to doing what I did in my 30's. We now base camp, and spend the days fishing, exploring (on the lakes around our base camp), and/or just hanging out around camp. Miles are no longer important for us. What is important is taking the time to enjoy nature and one another's company.

If you guys can still pull this stuff off in your late 60's and 70's my hat is off to you. I operate now on my wife's rule "what has being 67 taught you?". (I also don't want to hear what she would say if I came home hurt trying to do something I used to do in my 30's!)

ockycamper: "What is it you guys do in your 60's and 70's that takes that much conditioning?"

Solo Hunter Island loop last fall. Twelve days, 153 miles, 35 portages, at age 67. Is what I do. No extra conditioning.

ockycamper: "

Argo: "

ockycamper: "What is it you guys do in your 60's and 70's that takes that much conditioning?"

It's called aging past your prime. Proper nutrition and exercise will help slow it down. These are the years when you can't afford to coast - particularly when your goal is continued adventures in canoe country.


Edit: I just noticed from your profile that you're about seven years "more experienced" than me. I think I see your question from a different perspective now.
"

My wife has a question she asks me when I try to do something I did in my 30's: "what has this taught you?".


I still go to Planet Fitness every day and ride my bike when weather allows. But I accept that you can get your muscles in shape. . . but your bones, back, etc are still (in my case) 67 years old. In my 30's I rafted the class 5's on the Gauley River in West Virginnia each September in a wet suit. I don't do that now.


I go with a group of guys that are all around my age. Most of us are trained in survival, wilderness camping, and emergency first aid/trauma. But for me, I am not hanging on to doing what I did in my 30's. We now base camp, and spend the days fishing, exploring (on the lakes around our base camp), and/or just hanging out around camp. Miles are no longer important for us. What is important is taking the time to enjoy nature and one another's company.


If you guys can still pull this stuff off in your late 60's and 70's my hat is off to you. I operate now on my wife's rule "what has being 67 taught you?". (I also don't want to hear what she would say if I came home hurt trying to do something I used to do in my 30's!)"

Agree to an extent. Our trips used to be to move every day. Now we move every second day. Portages are double portages now. No complaints.

ockycamper: "My wife has a question she asks me when I try to do something I did in my 30's: "what has this taught you?"."

Within limits, my wife & I are trying to do things we didn't even know existed when we were in our 30s! Here's a shot of my wife/bow machine during our week of via ferrata travel in Italy, summer of 2022, our 50th anniversary year. What did it teach me? That if we want to do it and give it an honest try, we can probably do it.

TZ

Wow!

ockycamper: "What is it you guys do in your 60's and 70's that takes that much conditioning?"

My son and I go on 2 week trips into some of the less traveled areas. We don't push THAT hard, but we do work ourselves. And I take 4-14 day solo trips. Hoping to still be able to solo into my 80's, so I'm wanting to maintain muscle mass and strength/agility as I age. I'm 65 now.

For me that looks like a mix of cardio and strength training. Typical routine would be to load 20# in a pack, do 3 sets of 8 reps on bicep curls and overhead presses using a 15# dumbbell in each hand, with 2 laps around the track in between sets as my "rest". Then move on the some of the weight machines at the gym, and finish with loaded "step ups" using a big wooden block that is just below my knee level.

As an active geezer my focus is mainly 4 miles of cardio every morning. This is mainly on the elliptical. By active I mean coaching football and hitting the woods every chance that I get. Setting up tree stands and climbing into stands a couple times a week keeps the upper body and flexibility in pretty good shape. Once the hunting season is done than it's walking the land to improve the location of stands and looking for sheds. Food plot work soon follows which is a huge workout in itself. Bottom line is to stay active, and as has already been mentioned, eat a healthy diet.

I'll be 65 in May. I do 3-4 days (1 1/2 hours each session) of weight training. Make sure you do the opposite (Push/pull) motions during weight training. Just do a well rounded routine . I like to do 12-20 reps for each lift. I'll do cycling or Cross Country skiing ( more roller skiing this year) the other days. Stretching is extremely important for the older guys. I plan to do more paddling workouts this year. Northeast IL has some great rivers to paddle.

Just staying active, I have started carrying buckets of sap out of the woods. I do some regular stretches and cardio to keep all the parts working. I will be down to Geneva IL next week for a few days maybe I can find someone to paddle with while I'm down there. That's my best way of being ready. Still to much hard water up here in Cornucopia. Once I know when I will be down I will post something and see if any hardy soles are interested.
Allen

I would also add doing lunges with or without holding weights is very functional and helpful. During portages you often find yourself stepping up and over rocks and logs

Blatz: "I would also add doing lunges with or without holding weights is very functional and helpful. During portages you often find yourself stepping up and over rocks and logs"

Yes to this and weighted step ups are also very beneficial for portaging.

Sixty eight here. Worry less about training for a trip but incorporate fitness into a year round lifestyle. Large gaps in being active get harder to get past when you are older. The bottom line for all of us is that we are going to face health problems eventually and the more fit you are the better you can handle and recover from these events. Some years ago I had major emergency surgery that was life threatening. After it was over I asked the doc if my lifestyle (I cross country ski and bike race competitively), brought on my condition. His response was absolutely not, however he said, it is the reason you handled the surgery so well and recovered so quickly. Use paddling as your motivation to stay fit year round and you will reap great health benefits.

jsmithxc: "Sixty eight here. Worry less about training for a trip but incorporate fitness into a year round lifestyle. Large gaps in being active get harder to get past when you are older. The bottom line for all of us is that we are going to face health problems eventually and the more fit you are the better you can handle and recover from these events. Some years ago I had major emergency surgery that was life threatening. After it was over I asked the doc if my lifestyle (I cross country ski and bike race competitively), brought on my condition. His response was absolutely not, however he said, it is the reason you handled the surgery so well and recovered so quickly. Use paddling as your motivation to stay fit year round and you will reap great health benefits."

Well said

Argo: "don't ignore nutrition and metabolic health. Avoid sugar in all its 230 forms (and names) as well as seed oils. Shop on the perimeter of your grocery store to avoid ultra-processed foods that are replete with these ingredients if you want to lose weight and avoid type II diabetes and all of the wretched limitations it will saddle you with. It will extend your years in the woods. "

100% agree