Physical Fitness

You do not need to be an athlete to participate in a Costa Rica Outward Bound course, however, our courses are physically challenging. We do recommend that students who are not particularly active adopt an exercise routine prior to starting their course.

On course you may find yourself hiking 5 to 10 miles a day for several days while carrying a 50-pound backpack or paddling a kayak for several hours on a river or paddling past breaking waves on a surfboard. Getting in good shape before your course will significantly reduce your chances of injury and increase your enjoyment of the course.

We recommend training five to six days a week for at least 30 minutes a day. Make sure you take one day a week off. A few weeks of endurance exercise will really pay off.

We suggest that students start training at least eight weeks before you start your course. If you do not have the full eight weeks to train, you can still be in good enough shape to take a course. Start as soon as you can and do as much as you are able to in the time you have.

The following is a suggested Eight Week Fitness Program:

Remember to:

• Find a type of exercise that you enjoy


• Mix up the training to avoid doing the same thing everyday (jog, swim, bike, etc.)


• Don't push too hard. Increase your workload by no more than 10% a week


• Take at least one day off a week

Week One

Day 1, 3, 5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2, 4, 6: 10 minutes of stretching, 10 minutes of light weightlifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Two

Day 1, 3, 5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2, 4, 6: 10 minutes of stretching, 15 minutes of light weightlifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Three

Day 1, 3, 5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2, 4, 6: 10 minutes of stretching, 20 minutes of light weightlifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Four

Day 1, 3, 5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2, 4, 6: 10 minutes of stretching, 20 minutes of light weightlifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Five

Day 1, 3, 5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2, 4, 6: 10 minutes of stretching, 20 minutes of light weightlifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Six

Day 1, 3, 5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2, 4, 6: 15 minutes of stretching, 25 minutes of light weightlifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Seven

Day 1, 3, 5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2, 4, 6: 15 minutes of stretching, 30 minutes of light weightlifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Eight

Day 1, 3, 5: 30 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2, 4, 6: 10 minutes of stretching, 10 minutes of light weightlifting
Day 7: Rest and have a great course

Emotional Fitness:
You will experience a wide range of emotions during the course ranging from elation to fear and from frustration to triumph. The thrill of meeting new challenges individually and as a group is invariably accompanied by moments of stress and uncertainty. Be open to change and be ready to communicate, adapt, and utilize your own resources. These qualities will help both you and your group reach emotional highs and deal with emotional lows. Also before you come, you should greatly think about what you would like to get out of the course. Your level of motivation is directly linked to the benefits you will reap from the course.