Emotional
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 really think about what you would like to get out of the course.

Physical
You do not have to be an athlete or highly trained to participate in an Outward Bound course. However, you do have to be prepared physically because CRROBS courses are demanding. Expect to be using your muscles and to be testing your endurance in new ways. Conditioning for the course before you arrive will help you get the maximum enjoyment out of the course. It takes strength and endurance to paddle a boat six to eight hours a day, hike five miles wearing a 50-pound pack, or climb an 80-foot tree. Be prepared.

Exercise
Conditioning for an Outward Bound course involves developing your aerobic fitness by running, biking, swimming, or any other activity that stimulates your heart and lungs for at least 30 minutes without stopping. Efficient training is not dependent simply on the number of times your heart beats per minute (take your pulse for six seconds and multiply by 10). If you exercise too hard, you burn calories too quickly and you may burn out before the 30 minutes. The key is moderate effort. One way to measure if you are exercising too hard is the Talk Test. If you are pushing too hard to carry on a conversation, it's possible that you are working harder than your body can train. If fast running leaves you breathless, slow down, even if it means walking. Find a comfortable level, then slowly build up. You've probably heard many people complain of tired achy bodies after exercise. It is likely that they wanted to improve too quickly and pushed too hard. Many are not aware that as long as a person is around their Target Heart Rate (170-Age =THR), the more moderately they go, the faster they will improve.

For an Outward Bound course, you should be training five to six days a week, at least 30 minutes a day. Make sure you take one day a week off. A few weeks of endurance exercise will really begin to pay off. Start training at least eight weeks before you start your course

Choosing an Exercise Program
For most people, the best exercise for getting and staying in shape is jogging. Why jogging? Aside from being inexpensive and accessible, it is the most efficient way to use your large leg muscles-requiring the heart and circulatory system to pump large quantities of blood and oxygen. However, if jogging is not for you, find an exercise activity that you are motivated to do. In addition to the 30 minutes/day of aerobic training, you should do 15-30 minutes of lightweight training every other day. Weight training is for strength, not aerobic fitness, and by itself is not sufficient. Stretch your muscles and move the weights through a full-range of motion. Yoga and stretching to maintain flexibility is also an important aspect of conditioning.

Eight Week Fitness Program
Once you have passed your pre-course medical examination, the following program is appropriate for training. 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. Please take this conditioning program seriously. Getting in good shape before your course will significantly reduce your chances of injury and increase your enjoyment of the course

Things to Remember:
- Find a type of exercise that you enjoy
- Mix up the training to avoid doing the same thing everyday (jog, swim, bike, etc.)
- Keep your Target Heart Rate in mind and utilize the Talk Test
- Don't push too hard and hurt yourself--increase your work load by no more than 10% a week
- Take at least one day off a week

Exercise Plan:

Week One (build)
Day 1,3,5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2,4,6: 10 minutes of stretching, 10 minutes of light weight-lifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Two (build)
Day 1,3,5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2,4,6: 10 minutes of stretching, 15 minutes of light weight-lifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Three (build)
Day 1,3,5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2,4,6: 10 minutes of stretching, 20 minutes of light weight-lifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Four and Five (build)
Same as above but increase stretching time slightly

Week Six (build)
Day 1,3,5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2,4,6: 15 minutes of stretching, 25 minutes of light weight-lifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Seven (build)
Day 1,3,5: 30-45 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2,4,6: 15 minutes of stretching, 30 minutes of light weight-lifting
Day 7: Rest

Week Eight (taper off one week prior to course)
Day 1,3,5: 30 minutes of aerobic fitness training
Day 2,4,6: 10 minutes of stretching, 10 minutes of light weight-lifting
Day 7: Rest and have a great course

Try to avoid expectations about how you will perform on your course. There are many kinds of strengths and having strong muscles is only one of them. Stamina involves the mind as well as the body; being strong in mind and spirit is equally important. You'll find that your group is made up of people very much like yourself-not super men and women. Each member will bring something special and each will have accepted a very personal challenge.