How fit do you need to be for our Cape Town Escape?

How fit do you need to be for our Cape Town Escape?

So Cape Town has caught your eye. Then you spotted the Table Mountain hike, Chapman's Peak run and daily workouts and thought: hang on, how fit do I actually need to be for this?

Our Cape Town Escape is active. You’ll train every day, take on some big adventures and probably finish the week with more kilometres in your legs than your average holiday. We’re proud of that.

But this isn’t a bootcamp, and you don’t need to arrive as the fittest person in the room! We just recommend a good base level of fitness, a willingness to get stuck in and enough confidence in your body to take on an active six days.

Here’s what that all means:

First up: what are the workouts like?

Expect daily sessions led by Salt coaches, with a mix of strength, conditioning and cardio designed to challenge you.

Most days have two sweat sessions. Others pair workouts with one of Cape Town’s bigger adventures. Recovery and mobility are built into the week too, so you’re not simply going hard from breakfast until bed.

And while we want the training to feel challenging, good coaching means meeting you where you are. Your coach can adapt the movements and weights so you get a session at your level.

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You’ll hike Table Mountain

A physical challenge and one of the reasons we came to Cape Town in the first place.

After an early breakfast, we’ll head up Table Mountain on foot, with the city below and the famous tablecloth cloud hopefully making an appearance along the way.

You don’t need to be an experienced mountain hiker, but being comfortable spending a few hours on your feet and tackling hills will make the day much more enjoyable.

Later that day, we’ll regroup for a Salty team workout.

Then there’s the Chapman's Peak run

Most people drive one of the world’s most scenic coastal roads, but we had another idea.

One morning, we’ll run Chapman's Peak together before breakfast, with mountain on one side and the Atlantic on the other.

This isn’t about setting a PB. You’re there to run one of Cape Town’s most spectacular stretches of road with the crew and take in a view that beats your usual running route.

If running is the bit you’re nervous about, adding a couple of easy runs to your training before you travel will go a long way. Equally, not up for it on the day? No problem, this is your holiday.

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Not everything involves trainers

One morning starts with a team sweat before we swap dry land for the Atlantic and head out on a guided kayak safari.

You’ll paddle along Cape Town’s coastline looking out for dolphins and seals, before heading back to the villa for lunch and a free afternoon.

And later in the week, there’s time for the beach, volleyball, an optional trip to see the penguins at Boulders Beach or simply soaking up the sun next to the villa's two pools.

What should I be doing before I go?

If you already train consistently, keep doing what you’re doing and make sure you have a little running and walking in the mix.

If your routine has been a bit hit and miss, use the weeks before Cape Town to build some consistency. A good starting point would be:

• 2 strength or conditioning sessions a week
• 1 to 2 easy runs a week
• Regular walking, ideally with some hills
• Mobility and recovery alongside your training

What if everyone else is fitter than me?

You don’t need to be the strongest or fastest in the group. Our coaches are there to help you get a good session at your level.

Every Salt group has a mix of people, strengths and training backgrounds. You’ll train together, with room for different paces and weights.

Our coaches are there to challenge you and scale where needed. The important bit is arriving with a decent fitness base and being ready to get involved.

Nobody is keeping a leaderboard.

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And what about recovery?

We take this bit seriously too. There’s recovery yoga, functional mobility, breathwork and cold plunges built into the week, alongside afternoons where your only job can be finding a spot by the pool or heading down to the beach.

Challenging sessions come with time to recover properly, ready to enjoy the next day.

So, am I fit enough for Cape Town?

If you train fairly regularly, can comfortably run or jog a few kilometres and are happy spending a few hours hiking, you’re starting from a good place.

If that currently sounds like a stretch, it doesn’t necessarily mean Cape Town isn’t for you, it might just mean giving yourself some time to build your fitness before you come.

Arrive with a good fitness base so you can enjoy the workouts, the hike and the coastal run.

And when the workout is over? There’s a private chef, the Atlantic, a sunset catamaran and a South African braai waiting.

[SEE THE CAPE TOWN ESCAPE]