Got an adventure trip on the calendar? Maybe you're kayaking the Sea of Cortez, hiking Machu Picchu or climbing Mount Rainier. Granted, you might already be in shape, but taking an adventure trip is akin to doing a marathon: You've got to fine tune your body for the demands of that particular excursion. But how?

You've got a few options. You could wing it, of course, and keep up your regular fitness program (you do have one, right?). You could hire a personal trainer. Or you could a customized fitness plan from Fit for Trips.

Fit for Trips was created by an adventure traveler and personal trainer, Marcus Shapiro, to help people get fit for adventure travels. Shapiro and his team of expert trainers (and they do have great qualifications, by the way) partner with adventure tour operators to create fitness programs for specific itineraries. They also design customized fitness programs for individuals and offer support via e-mail or phone.I thought the concept was pretty cool so I contacted Shapiro to find out more. Here's what he head to say.

That's Fit: Why should people come to Fit for Trips instead of hiring a personal trainer at home?

Marcus Shapiro: If you can find a personal trainer who has expertise in adventure travel fitness and you can hold to a set appointment every week and have the funds, a personal trainer is a great choice. However, a Fit for Trips coach has expertise in adventure travel fitness and has reviewed your itinerary and possibly spoken to your tour provider about your trip. Plus, you can follow the regimen at home or the gym, you can access your workout from any computer and upload to your iPod or iPhone, and you spend only a small percentage of what your trip costs.

TF: What's the average trip length most people request fitness programs for?

MS: Usually mutli-day trips, often six to 22 days.

TF: What are some of the recent trips you've had clients request fitness programs for?

MS: Tracking mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Kilmanajaro trekking on the Western Approach Route.

TF: How much does a fitness program cost?

MS: The Value Fitness Program, which is five weeks, is $49.95; 4 weeks is $169; 8 weeks is $279; and 12 weeks is $339. For example, in the eight-week program, you get two phases of training. The first will get you in shape for the next phase. As you advance to each phase, so will your fitness.

TF: How long does it take to receive a customized fitness program?

MS: That depends on the program, but it can be anywhere from instantly to six days.

TF: How soon before a trip should people start training?

MS: If you've booked a moderate intensity adventure and you're working out consistently, an eight-week program is sufficient, as you're just replacing your current workouts with a training regimen that targets the activities on your trip. So you'd count back eight weeks from your departure date and start training. If you don't exercise at all, allow 12 weeks.

Yet if you've booked a physically strenuous adventure like a Kilamanjaro trek, 12 weeks is preferable. Most people who book this trip are currently training so they might also be able to ease into an eight-week program.

For easy, non-technical adventures, four weeks is fine or the five-week value program would work.

Want motivation to take your next adventure? Read about this heart patient who's added climbing to her to-do list.