Tim Anderson - personal trainer at "Madonna World Tour 2012" in Val Gardena

Tim Anderson  the personal trainer of the famous singer Madonna during her World Tour 2012 is on holiday in Val Gardena!!

We met him during a training lesson and asked him to speak with us about the benefits of walking in the mountains of Val Gardena and how hiking can influence the wellbeing of the body.

Benefits of Walking in the Mountains

Walking on a mountain path surpasses the benefits of walking on flat surface.

I dance, cycle, train on a treadmill, practice yoga, do plyometrics and lift weights to stay in shape, but after taking a hike in the mountains of Rasciesa-Furnes-Val d'Anna, my muscles are still feeling the benefits three days later!

The benefits from hiking in the mountains are...

- first and foremost, breathing the clean mountain air. What better fuel to fill you lungs with the freshest, cleanest air possible.

- it's a full body workout, although the majority of the work is done by the legs, gluteus & abs

- walking uphill also incorporates the upper body if you are using walking sticks for balance.

- the rocky, uneven surface of a mountain path is extremely beneficial to strengthening the stabilizing muscle of the ankles and knees. You can think of walking on flat even surfaces as one dimensional and walking on an uneven surface up or downhill and three dimensional.

-hiking on a mountain path forces you to either lean forward or back to keep your balance, depending on if you're walking up or downhill, engaging the abs and lower back. Also the uneven surface forces your ankles to stabilize 360 degrees & your knee to stabilize front to back and side to side.

- primary muscles used when walking up or down hill are...quads (thighs), calves, gluteus, hamstrings, abs & lower back. (with the abs engaged the lower back should be supported)

So let's get fit :)!

Tim Anderson during a training lesson on Furnes (Seceda)