Preparing for the Season Ahead: Health, Fitness, and the Lessons That Matter Most

Written by Preston Ward, PT, DPT, OCS,

Founder, Mtn Physio

Every season teaches us something, if we’re willing to pay attention. Sometimes the lesson comes from success, and sometimes it comes from the opportunity that slipped through our fingers. Success often comes down to time spent in the field and, maybe, just a little bit of luck.

As we step into 2026 and look toward the upcoming season, preparation goes far beyond the latest gear. It starts with an investment in health and fitness. Making sure our bodies, minds, and gear are ready to perform when opportunity shows up. Here in the West, it isn’t uncommon to be given just one opportunity at a target buck or bull. The goal is simple: capitalize on that moment and make it count.

One Opportunity Is All You Get

In the field, you rarely get a second chance. Months of planning often boil down to a few seconds of execution. That reality is what makes preparation so critical. Practicing for that one opportunity means building a body that can move efficiently under load, stay steady under pressure, and perform when fatigued.

Fitness isn’t about looking a certain way; it’s about being capable. Capable of hiking farther, staying longer, thinking clearly, and executing cleanly when the moment arrives. Measuring performance allows us to train with purpose, and when preparation is consistent, confidence follows.

Time in the Field: The True Predictor of Success

Having worked with some of the industry’s most successful hunters on DIY, public-land hunts, I’ve seen the same formula repeat itself: time in the field through scouting, staying injury-free, deep knowledge of the animal, and confidence in both weapon and self. That combination is a recipe for success.

This is where health becomes the foundation. Nagging injuries, poor recovery, or chronic pain cut seasons short. Being injury-free isn’t a bonus, it’s a requirement. Prioritizing mobility, strength balance, and recovery allows you to show up day after day, week after week, giving yourself more chances to succeed.

Know Your Baseline: Measure to Improve

One of the most overlooked aspects of preparation is the shear understanding where you’re starting from. Booking an evaluation with a qualified specialist can be a game changer. This is the foundation of MTN PHYSIO Season Training—working with board-certified specialists and a team of passionate practitioners to understand where you are and how to improve.

Baseline metrics matter. They reveal imbalances, weaknesses, and limitations you may not feel yet but that could show up under stress. Strength, mobility, cardiovascular capacity, and movement quality all influence performance. When you know your baseline, you can train with intention, track progress, and reduce the risk of injury before the season ever begins.

Training for Longevity, Not Just This Season

Preparation shouldn’t be about surviving one season, it should be about showing up ready year after year. Sustainable training habits, proper fueling, and smart recovery extend careers in the outdoors. Health is what allows us to say yes to new opportunities, whether that’s a longer hunt, a tougher environment, or a last-minute invite that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

Creating Opportunities by Bringing Others Along

This season also reinforced the value of bringing others into the field, especially family. Mentorship strengthens our community and ensures these traditions continue. When experienced hunters prioritize health and preparation, they set an example. When they bring others along, they create opportunities that extend far beyond themselves.

This year, we were able to hunt hard as a family until the very end of the season. My wife, who didn’t grow up hunting, has embraced the process over time. Through persistence and preparation, she’s experienced everything from harvesting a bull bison to spot-and-stalk pronghorn hunts. This season marked another milestone.

On a late-season cow elk hunt in December, perseverance and grit were put to the test. Sub-freezing temperatures, blizzard-like conditions, and long days demanded both physical and mental toughness. With our family by her side, and our daughter cheering her on, she stayed committed. On the second-to-last day of the season, that commitment paid off when she harvested her first elk.

It was a reminder that preparation doesn’t just create success, it creates memories. Ones that last far longer than any season ever could.

Final Thoughts

Last season I spent countless days in the field searching for that next level buck, spent weeks in the backcountry helping others find success and when it came down to it, I missed a buck. This missed opportunity wasn’t failure, it was feedback. Feedback that reinforces what we say often: there is no off-season.

Start the year by knowing where you stand. Objective baseline testing gives clarity—revealing strengths to build on and weaknesses to address before they become limitations in the field. With that information, training becomes intentional rather than guesswork. This season is about applying feedback through smarter preparation, better health, and purposeful training.

When we invest in our bodies, measure where we are, and commit to staying injury-free, we earn more time in the field.

And more time in the field means more opportunities.

Because when that one moment comes again, the goal is simple: be ready.