You would be thinking, how health and fitness are related to Wildlife Photography? After going through this article you will understand its importance in a better way.

Wildlife photography involves lots of trekking and hiking. You can even restrict your Wildlife photography to safaris in jeeps also. But this will not help you to grow as a good wildlife photographer. You should be energetic, and ready to shoot in any tough conditions. Believe me, the results are very fruitful.

As you all know good wildlife gear is quite heavy. If you are using a 500mm prime lens with a full-frame camera body, then the total weight would come to more than 4 kgs. Imagine yourself shooting with such heavy gear in a remote location with tough weather conditions. If you are not fully fit then you won’t be able to succeed in getting good photos.

How many of you are experiencing Body pain and pain in joints after coming back from a wildlife photography trip? Do you feel the same pain during the trip? You may not able to give your 100 percent with such pains. This will have a bad effect on your photos too. This pain is due to a lack of health and fitness.

I will help you to improve your fitness so that you can concentrate more on photography in the field rather than on the pain.

Tips to Improve Health & Fitness for Wildlife Photography

1. Walk Regularly

Walking regularly will help you to improve your fitness. Make it a habit to walk daily for at least 30 min. You can even do jogging if you are comfortable.

2. Do Regular Exercise

Regular exercise will keep your body in good shape. You can even join a gym if you are really serious. If you are not interested in a gym then do exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and crunches at your home.

The main area of stress when you walk with your gear is on the shoulders, hands, and legs. So, concentrate on exercise that involves these 3 parts. You can even make use of online personal trainer programs.

If you are involved in another job, which involves sitting in a place for a long time and you are doing wildlife photography as a hobby then I highly recommend you to stretch your legs and hands between. Take short breaks and walk for some time.

3. Involve in Games

Playing games like cricket, football, tennis or any other games which involve physical activity is a good choice. It is better to select a game of your liking. Otherwise, you may stop it in between.

4. Maintain a Healthy Diet 

Make sure that you take less junk food. Concentrate on foods that contain more proteins. Drink lots of water.

If you are on a wildlife photography expedition you will have limited options for food. Sometimes, you may even have to skip one of your meals. It had happened to me many times. Keep yourself hydrated whenever you are in the field.

So, as a Wildlife photographer, it is essential that you keep yourself fit. Otherwise, you may not be able to enjoy what you do. Don’t carry too many camera gears. Carry only what is required. 

5. Read Fitness Tips Online

You can easily get plenty of fitness tips online. So, go through these tips and try to follow them. You can read fitness and lifestyle blogs like VeryWellFit, Baggout, Hour Athlete, and many more.