The Secrets Of Alpine Fitness
Posted on 5 August 2009
After spending a week in the Swiss alps not only did I have a load of fun but learnt a lot about the local diet and fitness regimes which inspired me to write this post.
Its amazing to see the amount of men and women who are in their late 50′s,60′s and 70′s but remain fit as a fiddle climbing the mountains with their shopping. Not to mention those who are always on the go making the most of their beautiful landscape. So what is their secret?
General Fitness
The local population seem to be constantly on their feet doing whatever needs to be done. Its pretty amazing to see how well kept the gardens and their houses are. If painting needs to be done it gets done if the flowers and gardens need attending to they get attended to with the minimum hassle. Add to this the lack of cars and transport to the houses high up on the mountains and getting your shopping becomes a workout. On top of all this most people in the region will go for long walks daily through the alps which include loads of uphill paths and fresh air which work for an optimum low intensity workout without them even noticing.
The younger locals will spend the day mountain biking and hiking or swimming in the lakes which allows them to get in fun and relaxing workouts on their days off or in spare time. Their seems to be a great sense of community with groups going for walks or cycling and having a great time together.
What I found most amazing is the fact that many of the locals stay in great shape and have a great outlook on life without even trying, everything comes naturally to them and its just what they do to keep busy and have a good time.
The few afternoons I spent on long mountain walks or mountain biking were the most relaxing I have had in a long time, being in the beautiful natural landscape can’t do anything but land you in the present moment shrinking away any worries and doubts that a hectic city lifestyle brings up.
So in a nut shell what are the most important things the swiss locals taught me about keeping fit?
- Take advantage of what nature gave you (Run, Bike and Swim outdoors if you can)
- Relax and enjoy life with long walks with friends and family
- Enjoy sports like Tennis
- Spend as much time as you can in the wild
- Take pride in your DIY enjoy your gardening and other odd jobs
- Walk when you can and ditch the cars
- You don’t need fancy equipment to live a good and healthy life
Pretty simple isn’t it but they are some profound lessons that can only be observed then practiced and are sometimes forgotten by those living in big cities and lose touch with the simple life.
Diet
Their is some outstanding local produce out in the alps, loads of good cheap and simple food which was easy to get hold of in most the local restaurants and cafe’s.
For breakfast a mainstay of the locals diet it something called Bircher Muesli which is a mix of Yoghurt, Nuts, Grated Apple, and a Handful of Oats but the preparation is key. The first step is to leave in a bowl overnight the following:
- 1 Handful of Raw Oats
- Juice of a lemon
- 1 Small Cup of Water
This allows the anti-nutrients in the oats to be dealt with making them a nourishing source of nutrition. Next morning add the Grated Apple, Yogurt (Quark is ideal), Nuts/Seeds and a few tablespoons of honey. Give it a good mix and away you go. Top this with some fresh mountain fruits like Apricots and Plums plus some berries and you are good to go. When you use fresh mountain yoghurt and treat the oats before eating you are in for an extremely nourishing and tasty meal which will set you up for a day out hiking, biking or walking….
Lunch is pretty simple in the Alps with the locals taking a liking to cured meats and cheese which although pretty salty they do a good job of providing some easy to store nutrition that is high in protein and good fats. Usually I would get a platter of Bresaola along with some raw cheese for lunch. Bresaola is a local cured meat which is extremely lean and is traditionally served with cheese and some pickled vegetables. Along with a mountain herbal tea of Thyme, Basil and Honey it provided a really good lunch that allowed me to get a taste of the local food.
As for dinner this is where the good stuff came with our hotel serving up an amazing selection of local meat which included deer, horse, beef as well as an assortment of sea food from the local lakes. The coolest thing about eating meat in Switzerland is that they have extrememly tight controls on imports meaning that the meat is almost guaranteed to be local and therefore grass-fed. Couple this with an amazing assortment of salad in the lush salad bars and a few glasses of local wine and dinner quickly becomes a healthy feast. So what’s their secret when it comes to eating?
- Plenty of REAL food
- High protein and nutritious meals are a mainstay
- Everything is Local from meat to fruits and vegtables
- Food is simple, tasty and well prepared
- Relax and unwind in the evening having meals with friends and family
Its pretty amazing how different their diets are compared to other bigger countries round the world. With all the local produce and an old fashioned view on eating and nutrition the locals manage to stay healthy while promoting local agriculture.
At the end of the day it really came down to a few simple things like keeping busy outdoors and eating real food. Its also inspiring to see the strong sense of community which is real face to face interaction rather than the mobile and web socializing that goes on in other parts of the world. All these things add up to a simple happy life which is a pretty amazing thing to experience.
Comment by Jennifer
5 August 2009
great post! i’m currently home in the Caribbean with lots of mountains and simple food. there is something about being surrounded by mountains and simplicity that makes one want to be healthy! the lack of consistent electricity also helps force you outside!
@ Jennifer: Its awesome that your living in that type of environment. As leaving a big city really made me realize how much pent up stress it causes, it took me a few days of peaceful surroundings to not feel as if I should be on the go or doing something all the time. Thanks for checking in on the blog….
Comment by Rafi Bar-Lev
6 August 2009
Love the expression “fit as a fiddle”! Really inspiring post Chris. I guess I should give up blogging and go live in the mountains…
-Rafi
Comment by Jane
6 August 2009
Hi Chris,
I am from Switzerland, but cannot remember that our diet is something special. I remember Bircher Muesli coming out of the plastic pack (man made) and I never heard of grass-fed beef being sold in our grocery stores. The meat you buy at the grocery stores is clearly grain fed.
I also remember people being lazy and driving around in their cars instead of walking.
Fast Food has hit Switzerland and obesity is growing.
I may need to move from the city to a chalet high up somewhere in the alps to get the goodies you are blogging about.
Where have you been anyway? You clearly enjoyed your stay.
Cheers
Jane
@ Jane: I was up in the mountains in the Graubunden region so it was very old fashioned with not a fast food store in sight. Of course cheap junk food could be purchased in supermarkets but all the restaurants served good real food and the meat was from the local region and was all definitely grass fed and free roaming. It was a great trip and Switzerland is an amazing country!
Comment by Kim
6 August 2009
Interesting article and thanks for the beautiful pics.
Comment by Kathy Garmus
6 August 2009
Having been to the Bavarian Alps, I agree that Alpine living just seems to lend itself to fitness. Thanks for the interesting post and beautiful photos.
Comment by Alan Hammond
6 August 2009
Chris,
Great post! I don’t know where the disconnect came in. People in the US used to live the same way, just a generation or two ago. Regardless, living life in that manner is a key to a long, healthy, happy life.
Thanks again for reminding us of the dangers of sedintary living!
Alan
Comment by pjnoir
16 August 2009
Eating only ‘Lean” meat when you eat meat is not a good idea. Animal fat is the the enemy, in fact ‘lean’ is. Animal fat has a positive role to play in a healthy diet. Read the facts (Taubes book for one source) because too many ‘experts’ haven’t and merely repeat like a parrot bad science.