THE SPIRIT OF THE WILD
Jacqui Holth, 46, undertook a week-long kayaking trip in Alaska
“For years I had wanted to see a whale up close in a wild setting so in 2016, I committed to getting fit enough to take a week-long kayaking trip in Alaska. Although I’m generally fit, for six months I stepped up my training. I went for 5km runs, kayaked on Sydney Harbour and strengthened my upper body with workouts involving pushups, tricep dips and sit-ups.
My trip involved kayaking over seven days and camping on beaches at night. I felt such freedom being on the water. It is incredibly meditative and silent. It made me calm but fully alive. Sitting for long periods was challenging and paddling into the wind and swell and against the flow of the current from the glacial face was tough, but so worth it. My biggest highlight occurred on the first day – when a humpback whale appeared about 30 metres away. It went under the water then came up about 10 metres from me and I could clearly see its barnacles and eyes. I was so moved by its magnificence I had tears streaming down my cheeks.
This challenge reminded me that face-to-face experiences with wildlife in remote locations fill my soul and allow me to really connect with myself. It created a space to reflect and tap into my true desires and helped me find myself spiritually. At the end of the week I felt enormous gratitude and an overwhelming sense of being at one with nature. I already run a wellbeing company but this trip inspired me to start another one called Adventurous Spirit, to encourage and support people to adventure more often, regardless of age. The first step is to stop asking ‘What if I can’t do it?’ and start asking ‘What if I can?’”
“Women are increasingly recognising that exercise can also help plump up their skin, strengthen bones, boost mood and even keep their brains healthier, to protect against ageing issues such as dementia,” says Lourey-Bird. But a weekly gym class may not be enough to sustain our interest, or challenge us physically.
Fitness adventures are ideal because there’s an end goal; a challenge you need to train for, to build your strength and stamina to achieve – and then, the reward of accomplishment at the end. Travel companies report an upswing in adventure holidays – cycling, canoeing, trekking – enabling people to take an interest or a skill into a more challenging environment.
Adventure goals actually encourage a broader, more complete level of fitness than you’ll achieve in a gym class. “When you repeat the same type of exercise over and over, you may go into cruise control and not push yourself as hard,” says Lourey-Bird. “Your body may also adapt so that you reach a plateau, where you may be getting a little less benefit.” But training for physical adventures requires mixing up your workouts, testing your limits.
The payoffs are many, even when you weren’t an athlete at 20, and we’re not just talking about stronger legs or a healthier heart. Setting yourself a physical challenge that gets you out of the gym and into nature can improve your confidence as well as boost your body image. “A natural environment can provide people with cognitive quiet, which fosters self-compassion as well as appreciation and respect for your body as part of a wider ecosystem requiring protection and care,” says Professor Viren Swami, co-author of a study by the University College of London.