How did your health change when you did your Camino?

[Spirit7759]

As a registered dietitian, I am curious about the effect on the body when walking 500 miles in 30 days. We know people get blisters, tendonitis, sunburn, and even broken bones. But what about good benefits?

I am considering getting my cholesterol checked right before I leave and then right after I get home. I am also curious about how much weight (if any) people have lost along their Camino.

 

[SabsP]

Hi Spirit,

Good idea! Two years ago I walked the Camino from Roncesvalles to SdC in 35 days. Prior to this walk I already went to a dietitian for a whole year getting advice and counselling. Prior to my walk I lost 12 k. and my BMI was 23. Seeing my bonestructure and all other parameters this was good.
I only lost one ( 1 ) xtra one kilo during the walk but afterwards my dietitian noticed a huge difference in the ratio fat/ muscle. So that made me really happy.
If you want to keep up with the good eatinghabbits on the Camino you do need to carefully monitor the pilgrim's menus.
First course there will always be a choice of a salad so that is a good idea ( other first courses can be pasta or a soup ), main will be a piece of meat or fish ( sometimes covered in breadcrumbs ) with french fries on the side. Seldom will there be veggies so the salad as a first choice is a good idea.
Dessert will be icecream, flan but there's also the choice of fruit or yoghurt.

On the subject of cholesterol : interesting to check it out. I for one ate much more eggbased dishes on the Camino then I eat when at home.

And after finishing the Camino I kept on walking at home, although not that long disntances and without backpack.

Buen Camino!

 

[tyrrek]

I lost about a stone on my first Camino and my beer belly disappeared. (I was upset, as I'd been working on it for years! ) I kept the weight off, and the next Camino seemed to be so much easier. Buen Camino!

 

[Tia Valeria]

A trimmer figure - yes, but muscle weighs more than fat. Much improved muscles - so no weight loss. :lol:
Seriously, good food, fresh air and excercise left me feeling much stronger physically.

One thing we noticed when we had been home for a few days was a greater need for salts to avoid cramp at night. Others have commented on this too. Try rehydration salts maybe, or else lick a little table salt off your hand - you will not overdose - believe me. If it tastes good - you need it, if you think 'ugh' - spit it out and have a mouthful of water.

 

[Kiwi-family]

I only walked for three weeks, but even in that time I had to use pins to tighten my shorts so they wouldn't fall down! Also had no asthma symptoms - but that happens every time I leave the city I live in!

 

[peregrina2000]

Walking the Camino for the first time in 2000 really changed my lifestyle, which has had good consequences for my general physical health. I had trained for my first Camino for almost a year, doing a lot more exercise than normal. When I came home from the Camino I was a few kilos lighter, but I soon put that back on. The more long lasting change though was that I kept my exercise level at my "Camino training" level. I knew that I wanted to walk the Camino again, and it seemed silly to have to get back into shape when I was already in such good shape. So I now ride my bike to work every day, I work out at a gym for an hour and a half, and I am pretty anal and obsessive about my workouts. My husband and I used to have two cars, we now have reduced it to one, which is also a good consequence -- I don't mean to sound preachy or self-satisfied, just saying that the Camino made me realize how important physical fitness is to life generally, not just to the Camino.

I agree with those who say that while walking, the diet probably left something to be desired. I eat a lot of vegetables at home and getting my vegetable "fix" was sometimes a challenge. Fruit was no problem. But -- lots of white bread, Cafe con leche usually has whole milk, those ubiquitous patatas fritas, not exactly a healthy diet.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[mspath]

In 2004 at 65 when I first began walking my height was 172 cm and weight 65 kilos. By the end of that camino and ever since my weight remains 61 kilos. Yet each time entering Santiago I physically feel remade; my bones may be the same but they seem re configured. Perhaps even more important than any physical slimming down and tightening up has been the psychological change during each camino. I have learned my limits as well as the importance of personal tenacity and endurance. Compared with eight climbs up O Cebriero daily trivialities in ordinary life now have little importance!

Nevertheless, what still matters for me is to DO IT! As Churchill said after Dunkirk "we will go on to the end".

Margaret Meredith

 

[karinotzen]

Hi all.

Just wanted to make a comment here - I cannot give any advice as to how the Camino will change your general health since I haven't walked it yet.

But when you say that you eat less healthy food on the Camino you also need to take into consideration that you do a lot more "exercise" than your bodies are used to and therefore you need more carbs than usually. And that the eggs and egg based foods also contain the much important proteins that your muscles need.

And remember it is quite difficult to eat and walk at the same time ;-)

I look forward to doing my first Camino in September and also look forward to being able to eat whatever I want to without gaining weight (my biggest issue now and always )

 

[Karlaaz]

Hello people. I`m 22 years old, but I have some spine problems. I have a protruted disc, it is not herniated disc, but simply describing, it is like the beginning of it. I`m strenghtening my core and back, but my doctor said it wouldn`t be a very bright idea to walk such a long distance. What do you say? Has someone encountered such physical problems and still walked? I`m planning a walk on August. Really want to do it

 

[Suzy q]

Karlaaz, I too had a disc problem several years ago. My advice would be to have your back taken care of before you do the Camino. Even building your core will not prevent further issues with your disc. I know had I attempted the Camino in my condition I would have been stopped cold by the pain I eventually had. I would certainly not have liked to be on the Camino when the pain reached the point of no return. I did not have fusion so I have much better mobility that those that do, I also have no pain. My surgery was simple and brought immediate relief. My daughter also had a different disc issue which was solved by disc replacement, again , no fusion. She too is in no pain. Recuperation time was about the same for both of us. What's another year to wait the Camino in perfect health with no back issues, as opposed to what could be the most painful and unpleasant experience of your life? For more information, if you'd like to ask questions, you may email me at mtnfoxtrotter@gmail.com

 

[annakappa]

I usually loose about one kilo each Camino, but I happily have much better muscle tone and, happily, I my waistline becomes "trimmer" Frankly, I don't want to loose more, because that would change my ratio of body weight to backpack.
As Tia Valeria mentioned, also both Adriaan and I have terrible leg cramps starting about 5 days after finishing the Camino ( this never happens DURING the Camino)! Last year, I decided to take a supply of potassium pills with me. I took one a day during the whole Camino and I must say that this treatment helped immensely.Anne

 

[dougfitz]

Hello people. I`m 22 years old, but I have some spine problems. I have a protruted disc, it is not herniated disc, but simply describing, it is like the beginning of it. I`m strenghtening my core and back, but my doctor said it wouldn`t be a very bright idea to walk such a long distance. What do you say? Has someone encountered such physical problems and still walked? I`m planning a walk on August. Really want to do it

Karlaaz, it appears that you are asking us to give you a second medical opinion without the benefit of knowing your medical history, access to any diagnostic test results, or for most of us, any formal medical training. If you want a second opinion, take the question to another doctor.

You might also want to think about what effect the current advice would have on any travel insurance. Were you to walk against the specific advice of your doctor or a specialist, an insurer would be entitled to see any incidental costs such as medical treatment or evacuation as being caused by a pre-existing condition, and decline to cover these costs for you.

My own experience is with sleep apnoea, and the specialist who reviewed my case agreed that short periods of not using CPAP would not significantly aggravate my condition or its effects. His advice was 30 days or so would be acceptable. When I began planning my first camino, I was very thankful for that advice, as it meant I did not have to lug a heavy CPAP machine along with everything else. (You will find that some other forum members are not so lucky, and have to carry various treatment aids and devices, adding to their pack weight and slowing them down.)

Regards,

 

[Choweth]

Hello people. I`m 22 years old, but I have some spine problems. I have a protruted disc, it is not herniated disc, but simply describing, it is like the beginning of it. I`m strenghtening my core and back, but my doctor said it wouldn`t be a very bright idea to walk such a long distance. What do you say? Has someone encountered such physical problems and still walked? I`m planning a walk on August. Really want to do it

Not the same but I have degenerating discs that could potentially paralyze me if I do something "stupid". Doctors told me (when I was 15, I'm now almost 22) that whatever I do make sure I really want to do it and its worth it. I was also told to strengthen my core. I was a regional champion power lifter 3 years and a state champion power lifter 2 years and then invited to nationals my last year. I continually lifted a sum of 900+ pounds and was in the weight room 8 times a week. Nothing was gonna stop me and it would be worth it. My point is, I couldn't imagine my life without doing it. If you can't imagine your life without the camino, then off you go!


{Candace}
http://www.pilgrimontherun.com
-a blog about life, a bucket list, and a future pilgrimage-

 

[Spirit7759]

I was so excited to come back tonight to all of these great replies! I love all of your insight.

My hope is definitely to lose a few pounds, although I would be happier to lose them before I go! :roll:

I also would like to reset my sleep rhythm. Currently I work primarily as a nutrition writer so I take too much advantage of my ~flexible~ schedule staying up way too late and sleeping in.

As for health problems going in, I have interstitial cystitis, arthritis in my SI joints, and a stable ascending aortic aneurysm. I take meds for all and listen very carefully to my physicians. Basically, walking is all I can do. Hiking hills is ok as long as I take my time. (I wear a wrist heart rate/blood pressure monitor.) Therefore, in addition to the spiritual journey and purging my mind of technological clutter, I look forward to the challenge. I will be seeing my cardiologist in the beginning of August before I go to determine my fitness, but after that, buen Camino!

 

[robmcd]

I walked the Camino Frances this time last year and did the 500 miles in 30 days. I lost about a stone in weight but I put that partly down to the fact that the weather was very wet and I had to wear my rain jacket almost every day. I think I sweated a lot more than I would normally have done.

I found that after a few days I felt I had just become a walking machine. I quickly got into a routine and it suited to me to walk quite quickly so I tended to finish walking by early afternoon. Others go at a more leisurely pace. You don't really notice the difference but you soon build up your fitness.

 

[LeahRous]

I only walked from Pamplona to Burgos in April 2009 but sustained traumatic arthritis and had to have my hip replaced a year later. This just goes to show that each person is different. I trained by walking 3 miles a day before breakfast from October to April with a 12-lb pack. My actual Camino pack weighed 15 lbs. I was 58 when I did the Camino. In Estella an accommodating pharmacist sold us a box of Adolanta which worked wonders for back pain in the night and really helped me sleep, but looking back probably just allowed me to really injure myself by masking the pain so well. When I got back to the States I found out it is sold here as Ultrim - for phantom pain for amputees! Honestly, what you can buy over the counter in Spain... But all this said, I would do it all over again in a minute. And I can't wait to get back to Spain and finish my Camino, which I hope to do for my 65th birthday. Although I will walker fewer miles per day and hire a backpack transporter. And maybe take a few buses.

 

[tyrrek]

While I accept your complaint, I think Spanish healthcare is brilliant! Widely available, very clean and the staff I've seen are absolutely charming! Buen non-medical Camino!

 

[daesdaemar]

I wasn't overly heavy, perhaps 15-20 above my ideal weight. I lost about 5 lbs on the Camino but that was an incentive to keep my activity level up and now down to my ideal weight over the past couple of years.

 

[lindseh]

Re: Re: How did your health change when you did your Camino?

As Tia Valeria mentioned, also both Adriaan and I have terrible leg cramps starting about 5 days after finishing the Camino ( this never happens DURING the Camino)! Last year, I decided to take a supply of potassium pills with me. I took one a day during the whole Camino and I must say that this treatment helped immensely.Anne

I completely forgot about the leg cramps! Mine lasted my whole Camino and would always come at night whenever I tried to stretch out a bit. The pain would come shooting up both legs and I'm shocked I was able to avoid vocalizing my anguish because it always caught me by surprise! I'll have to try the potassium.

 

[Leaningforward]

I completed my first camino (Frances) about a month ago. I walked from St. Jean Pied de Port to Itero de la Vega, where severe shin splints kept me off my feet for about three days. Unable to walk any distance, I took a combination of taxis, buses, and trains to leave stones and prayers at Cruz de Ferro, and travel onto Astorga, where I found a pair of forearm crutches in a pharmacy. I walked from Sarria to Santiago on the crutches with a full pack, and took a bus to Finisterre where I walked to and from the Cape. I still need crutches for any "camino-distance" walk, but should be able to resume distance walking in a few weeks or so.

My diet on the camino was typical pilgrim fare: croissant and coffee for breakfast, nuts and chocolate or bocadilla for lunch, and pilgrim menu for dinner.

Since returning I have a had a checkup. My resting heart rate dropped about 10 beats per minute, my blood pressure dropped to about 114/70, I lost about six pounds, and my cholesterol dropped dramatically -- 235 to 170 (LDL 155 to 105) in US values.

I find my upper legs are stiff if I do not walk a couple of miles a day, particularly the muscles at the front top of leg at the hip, which help one lift additional weight -- like a pack.

Otherwise, I feel very good in body, mind, and spirit -- consistently looking for the "yellow arrows" in life to be at peace, calm, etc.

 

[Tia Valeria]

....................
As Tia Valeria mentioned, also both Adriaan and I have terrible leg cramps starting about 5 days after finishing the Camino ( this never happens DURING the Camino)! Last year, I decided to take a supply of potassium pills with me. I took one a day during the whole Camino and I must say that this treatment helped immensely.Anne

I completely forgot about the leg cramps! Mine lasted my whole Camino and would always come at night whenever I tried to stretch out a bit. The pain would come shooting up both legs and I'm shocked I was able to avoid vocalizing my anguish because it always caught me by surprise! I'll have to try the potassium.

Another help is to eat bananas, they are rich in potassium.

 

[Mark Lee]

I did it last summer when I was 52 years old. The first couple of weeks I did have sore knees in particular, and that was more from the downhill sections. No blisters (good socks, good shoes and Vaseline). After a couple of weeks my body adjusted and got in shape and a lot of the soreness went away (I took 3-4 low dosage aspirins everyday after a meal). I ate like a horse everyday and still lost twenty pounds on my Camino. Honestly, when I finished I was in the best shape I had ever been in twenty years. I felt like a young buck again .

 

[Anniesantiago]

My health is the reason I walk the Camino each year. I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and my doctor prescribed long distance walking. There is no safe place (in my opinion) in the USA where a woman can walk alone for 6 weeks at a time. I found the Camino and now it is my medicine. I lose about 20 pounds each year, my body chelates the pesky chemicals, my brain fog lifts along with my spirits, and I come home feeling much MUCH better. If I were younger and did not have children and grandchildren here, I'd relocate so I could walk more often.

 

[Janka Staníková]

Hi I know this thread has been posted a long time ago, but I want to contribute anyway.

What about the good benefits on the Camino? I must say that I experience strength gain each day The more I walked, the stronger I became. Literally. Legs and shoulders hurt like 1-2 first days and then stopped. After that I felt great and stronger each day. I enjoyed walking each day more and more. I also managed to increase my walk speed everyday Other pilgrims made fun of me that I wasn't walking, but I was running
And also I carried 11 kg - 13 kg backpack each day. I didn't even have one blister until the very last day. So only 1 small blister on 14-day Camino.

Why felt I so strong and haven't had basically any health problems? I learned that the reasons were 4:

1. Regular sport. I am doing sports all year long. I try to maintain a reasonable weigh and do sports in every season of the year. Except doing sports regulary I started also jogging (40 minutes) every other day 4 months before Camino. So I would say that if you don't do sports and then start Camino and suddenly ehaust your muscles and body, you are basically "inviting" the injuries. Keep yourself at balance all year long and Camino would hurt less (mine didn't hurt at all).
2. Proper Camino care - inside and outside. Take shower everyday, have a good hygiene, put fresh creams/gels on your muscles, masage a little, put your legs up at the end of the stage and and drink fizzy (or tablet) magnesium. Or bananas if you will.
3. SLEEP! I slept almost every siesta (2,5 hours in the afternoon) plus 9 hours at night. That sums up to 11,5 hours of sleep per day. Like who wouldn't be regenerated after such amount of sweet sleep? After all, the sleep is the best cure.
4. Food and drinks. Don't stay up too late, don't drink too much alcohol (believe, you will have time in Santiago for all of the delicious wines/beer/orujo) and don't stuff yourself with excess amount of food. Even though Camino is energy-demanding, you can pull it nicely with norma healthy portions. I felt hungry only 2 times a day (at 9.00 am and at 5.00 pm) so I ate twice a day. I didn't try to eat more or less. Simply I cooperated with my body. Everyone should listen to his own body, because the body unique for everyone and is smart and lets you know when it needs anything.

I learned that discipline added to Camino and I have never felt so strong in my life as I did on the Camino. I understand that people have different preferences, but I think that with proper and right attitude and discipline, the kilometers/miles can work for you, not against you

 

[Diogo92]

Well, one of my first fears when I prepared my first Camiño was my allergies and sinusitis.

One year after, and two Caminos later, what I noticed was that I have less allergies and sinusitis attacks in the middle of the wild, than where I live.

Regarding your “questions”, well I sure did get to know a lot of muscles that I didn’t knew that I have. I also noticed after starting doing trekking and walking more, that now I don’t have fat legs, I have two compressors in there

I noticed also that my resistance increased (I do about 6km per day just for training, and other 7km to reach work, with a 2,5 to 4kg backpack. Weight depends of what I need for the day. And I started to go shopping with a backpack too).

I have my senses more accurate, my feet don’t swell so much, and even more important, the more I walk the possibility of creating blisters decrease.

 

[Dutch]

I did not gain 1 single muscle, but only lost muscles on my first camino. About 4-5kg worth of muscles.

I do alot of different sports almost every day, eat pretty healthy (not a health freak), am very fit, but the camino diet wasnt enough for me to keep my body the way it was. I burned to much calories walking 5-8 hours a day with a 12kg backpack and my fast pase. I just could not eat more then i was burning and when you have only little body fat and you use alot of energy, your body starts "eating" itself. In my case there was hardly any fat to eat, so it ate my muscles.

I looked soooo skinny after 6 weeks hahaha...it was awfull. Took me 6 months to gain that muscle weight back again.

 

[Janka Staníková]

Wow, that is amazing, Dutch! I was totally oposite of that. My muscles got stronger and I lost 3 kg of body fat

Unfortunately I have already gained 2 kg back

 

[xin loi]

Lost 10 kilos of weight. Caught the Camino Cough like most hikers and after 5 weeks back home I am still waking up and coughing at night--probably TB , I suppose.

Not Camino but about Allergies-- I used to take a minimum of two allergy pills a day until I went to Andes in Bolivia in 2013--have not taken another allergy pill since. Doctor said that similar things sometimes occurs after a drastic change in living conditions.

 

[Dutch]

Walk another Camino and those 2 kg will dissapear like snow from the sun

I will TRY to eat more next time. More pasta, more eggs, more.....Tarte de santiago.
Don't want to loose so much muscle ever again. All that hard work GONE in 6 weeks.

 

[Janka Staníková]

Have you tried protein bars? You probably have

The truth is that every body has certain limits and behind that you won't do anything unless you accept it.
Tarta de Santiagooooooooooooooooooo yummy!
And also turron and products de dulceria

I WANT TO GO BACK. NOW

 

[Dutch]

I felt like i sometimes ate so much, i had food coming out of my ears but yes, there was always a little bit of room left for the Tarte de Santiago. OMG...So good!
Dulceria stuff, not really my thing, but weight wise, maybe i should start to develop a sweet tooth.

I AM GOING BACK. SOON

 

[JohnMcM]

How did your health change when you did your Camino?

As a registered dietitian, I am curious about the effect on the body when walking 500 miles

Physically I lost some weight.

Spiritually and mentally, the effect for me on me is immeasurable as I type this.

I believe it is simple to measure your waistline and weight before and after your Camino, I did and was surprised, very surprised at the change downwards.

However, for me, it is very difficult to describe in mere words how much I may have
changed spiritually and mentally. Please allow me to explain, if it will help you.

I met, shared with, laughed and cried with wonderful people who will be with me, physically, in my thoughts, in my prayers and spiritually for the rest of my life.

Nothing on this beautiful earth of ours can ever compare with what those people, my Camino family, blessed me with and have left me with.

Cherished memories and dreams of tomorrow pave my way to another Camino, and how I wish it could be with them, once more.

Buen Camino

 

[Janka Staníková]

JohnMcM, I can absolutely agree from the emotional and spiritual side!

Today is exactly 1 month from my arrival to Obradoiro square. But the Camino is about the whole way, but Obradoiro was one EPIC Finale Grande for me.

I was touched emotionally, spiritually and mentally I have never felt such a sweet mixture of emotions as I did when completed my journey. I was and I still am so moved, that I keep melting inside my heart

I play volleyball and past years I experienced the moments of joy after winning a game. But completing the Camino is totally something different than win a game in sports. One has to experience the burst of joy in your heart that lasts for months!

 

[Carol06]

I lost 4 kgs and I started out at 60kgs.I went down one size in clothes and although have regained most of the weight I lost two years later I am still wearing the smaller size so I must have trimmed down. But interestingly my high cholestrol did not change at all. When the medical centre told me to exercise more I just laughed and told them I had just walked 500 miles. what more did they want me to do?

 

[susanawee]

Hello people. I`m 22 years old, but I have some spine problems. I have a protruted disc, it is not herniated disc, but simply describing, it is like the beginning of it. I`m strenghtening my core and back, but my doctor said it wouldn`t be a very bright idea to walk such a long distance. What do you say? Has someone encountered such physical problems and still walked? I`m planning a walk on August. Really want to do it

I have problems all through my skeletal system due to Arthritis which I've had since childhood....I have particular problems in my upper back - have had two spinal fusions - and have crumbling discs in my thorax area.....I walked the Frances last year and carried my pack the entire way......carrying the pack each day actually helped my spine in that, it forced me to stand up straight as the pack acted like a brace and, I had far less pain than I have here at home..... Just my experience and there may well be others with similar stories....Buen Camino Karlaaz...