The Camino must not be begun with footwear being worn for the first time
Recommendations for keeping fit and healthy
Basic care of the feet
Cleansing the skin and the use of an anti-fatigue cream are fundamental. Socks should be seamless and preferably made of cotton.

The pilgrim on foot must pay special attention to and care for his feet. Correct hygiene is fundamental, so, if it is not possible to have a daily shower, the feet must be washed with water or, if water cannot be accessed, they must be rubbed softly with skin cleansing towels and an anti-fatigue cream which will freshen them. A preventive approach must be taken to the care of feet. Vaseline will be applied daily before beginning the walk in order to prevent the appearance of blisters. The more sensitive areas and those prone to suffer damage are the soles, the heels and the spaces between the toes, so, the adaptation of the footwear to the activity to be carried out is fundamental and footwear should have been previously worn and adapted to our feet. The Way must not be begun with footwear being worn for the first time.
A preventive approach must be maintained as regards the care of feet. We will apply Vaseline daily before commencing the walk in order to prevent blisters appearing. The most sensitive areas and those prone to suffering damage are the soles, heels and the spaces between the toes
In order to prevent chaffing, attention must also be paid to socks, which will be preferably seamless and made of cotton. In the case that boots are used, besides the cotton socks, another woollen pair may be worn over these. It is very important to keep these clean and wash them frequently insofar as this is possible.
The characteristics of the stage or the state of the weather sometimes make it necessary to freshen the feet more frequently. To do so, the person can take advantage of the short stops or rest periods and look for springs or streams in which to briefly wash his feet. However, if it is important to freshen them, it is more important to dry them thoroughly, preferably in the open air as excess humidity can generate the appearance of mycosis, the colonisation by fungus, popularly known as “athlete’s foot”.
In order to treat feet damaged by blisters, it is essential never to eliminate the skin as this serves as protection and will help to heal and regenerate the damaged area. You must be equipped with hypodermic needles to prick the blisters at one or two points in order to achieve total draining. Once emptied, a gelatin dressing of the proper size will be placed on the blister and fixed with a sticking plaster. These applications must be withdrawn before washing the feet so that a new dressing can be applied once the feet have been properly dried. The treatment will be repeated the following day before beginning the walk again. If a blister forms again, it will be pricked once more in order to extract the liquid.
If cracks appear between the toes, which can sometimes cause itching and pain, we are dealing with the aforementioned mycosis. In order to treat this, correct hygiene is essential, as well as thorough drying, however, a doctor or chemist must be consulted and he will recommend the use of an antimycotic spray. In this case, it is not recommended to self-prescribe the use of ointments or creams as they may humidify the area and encourage the proliferation of the fungus, substantially aggravating the problem. The operation must be repeated after each washing before commencing the day’s activity and on finishing it.
Footwear and the importance of socks
Footwear must be comfortable and adapted to our feet, that is to say, broken in
Footwear must be comfortable and adapted to our feet, that is to say, broken in. New, stiff footwear will end up harming us when we start our walk. It is preferable to use trekking or mountain boots, but, depending on the climatological conditions, other types of footwear specifically for walking can be used.
Seamless, cotton socks are perfect for trainers. These can also be used with boots on condition that we use woollen sock s over these. The socks must be kept as clean as possible
Trainers can be worn, but it is advisable to use footwear which secures the feet more strongly and prevents injuries to the ankle. Boots are recommendable precisely because they secure the ankle better. They must secure without pressure, therefore, models with the back of the leg of the boot lowered should be chosen. The soles must be hard with no cushioning on the heel.
Seamless, cotton socks will be used with trainers and these can also be used with boots if we use others made of wool over these. The socks must be kept as clean as possible. We must take advantage of the stops at hostels in order to wash them, dry them properly and put on clean ones.
The weight of the backpack
The backpack must be comfortable, easily adaptable and light.
The backpack must be comfortable, easily adaptable and light. There are anatomical backpacks, equipped with straps for fastening them to the waist or the hips and chest. They usually have lateral and upper bags which facilitate storage and the accessibility to components used frequently.
A backpack which is correctly packed for this type of activity must not exceed 10 kg in weight.
A backpack which is correctly packed for this type of activity must not exceed 10 kg in weight. When the backpack is acquired, we must check that it has protection systems on the straps in order to prevent chaffing of the skin. We must bear in mind that we spend a lot of time with them on our backs while we are in continuous movement.
The pilgrim’s first aid kit
Our small first aid kit must contain what is essential for caring for the feet and skin protection.

In order to treat and heal damaged feet, it will be necessary to carry a small first aid kit with essentials: hypodermic needles, dressings with gelatin, sticking plasters, bandages and adhesive elastic bands and a small pairs of scissors. During the stages of the Way, we will be exposed to all kinds of weather conditions. So, we should not forget skin protection for the face and arms or the areas of the body which are in direct contact with the air and the sun. An adequate sunscreen is essential together with the use of hydrating creams.
As regards treating and healing damaged feet. It will be necessary to carry a small first aid kit with the essential components: hypodermic needles, gelatin dressings, sticking plasters, bandages and adhesive elastic bands
As a complement to our first aid kits, if space allows this, we can add anti-inflammatory cream, aspirin or paracetamol, together with anti-acid tablets for the stomach in case it is upset by some kind of food.
It should not be forgotten that care of the feet and footwear are fundamental if we are to avoid injury. It is preferable to choose trekking or mountain boots. There are models of these adapted to summer if that season is chosen for the Camino.
Footwear must be well adapted to the feet, secured without pressure and with a certain flexibility, waterproof and transpirable. The soles must be hard and made for walking on irregular terrain.
Likewise, the socks must avoid injuries, therefore, those which are seamless and made of cotton will be worn. In order to rest at the stoops, slippers or light sandals can be used as these help to air, freshen and relax the feet, especially if these have been hurt.
Recommended nourishment
Meals must not be over abundant and must be suited to the exercise to be done.

Meals must not be over abundant and must be suited to the exercise to be done. Breakfast is fundamental as it is eaten previous to beginning the day’s walk. Food must be taken which provides energy without loading the stomach too much since this would make walking very difficult. Foodstuffs with a substantial amount of carbohydrates, such as pasta, cereals, dried fruits, etc. are preferable. For dinner, a variety of foodstuffs should be chosen, preferably, hot dishes taken early in order to avoid going to sleep while digestion is taking place.
Food with substantial contributions of hydrocarbons are a priority. It is also fundamental to have good hydration. We must drink liquids before, during and after the walk, about 2 litres of water per day
Besides the correct consumption of food, good hydration is also fundamental. We must take in liquids before, during and after the walk, approximately two litres of water per day. These two litres will be distributed in a balanced fashion: about two hours before starting each stage, it is recommendable to drink three glasses of water, and another two glasses a quarter of an hour before. During the walk, approximately one glass every forty minutes should be drunk.
You should not wait until you are thirsty in order to drink water, good hydration prevents muscular problems such as painful cramp occurring. The 15 kilometre barrier must never be passed without drinking water. For this reason, we will always have a small bottle of water or an isotonic drink on hand, which helps to replace mineral salts. So, we will combat fatigue by punctually absorbing small contributions of energy, such as rapidly absorbed glycides.
Another important question is to take care if we drink non-bottled water at the stops we make. We must avoid drinking water from streams, springs or fountains unless we are absolutely certain that it is drinkable.
How to recover physically between stages
The rest periods must not be prolonged excessively.
During the short stops made throughout the walk, advantage will be taken of these in order to drink and eat in small quantities, but which are sufficient to build up strength. In order to alleviate tiredness and tension in the lower limbs, especially the feet, we can loosen our footwear and rest with our feet up.
These rest periods must not be prolonged excessively, if we are walking, stops of a maximum of 5 or 10 minutes are recommended
The short stops made along the walk will be used to drink and eat in small quantities, but sufficient to build up our strength
If we are walking in summer, it will be necessary to look for places protected from direct sunlight in order to rest. These rest periods must not be prolonged excessively, if we are walking, stops of a maximum of 5 or 10 minutes are recommended, if cycling, the stops will be infrequent, short and always off both the road and the hard shoulder as a basic precaution.
If we organise our stage in two sessions, between these a longer stop will be made in order to have something to eat and recover our strength.