Fall is the perfect time to hike. There's a cool breeze, the fallen leaves make the trail even softer, and once you reach the pinnacle, you'll be amazed at the gorgeous foliage across the horizon. I love to try out new mountain trails, but find that the steep inclines and declines can be really hard on my knees. If this sounds familiar, don't let achy knees keep you off the trail. Here are some ways you can prevent pain to these joints.
- Make sure your footwear is supportive. Sneakers provide cushioning, but they won't stabilize your ankles, which can also help to prevent your knees from turning out. So wear trail runners or hiking shoes that go over your ankle.
- Invest in a pair of trekking poles. They look like ski poles, and when you use them to help you ascend and descend, they take some of the weight and work out of your lower body, and share it with your arms and back. So not only will you get more of a total body workout, but it's less demanding on your knees.
- Go easy on the gear. Even though a little pack may not add a ton of extra weight, downward force on your knees can reach eight times the weight applied, so even five extra pounds can add 40 pounds of pressure to your knee joints. For a day hike all you need is water, some food, an extra layer, and your cell phone. If you have to bring along more, ask a helpful friend to carry it in their pack.
For more great tips, keep reading.
- Vary your steps and avoid moving in a straight line for the entire hike. Walk in a zigzag pattern up and down hills, walk sideways, or walk backwards since repetitive motions can lead to pain.
- Stop and take breaks often, and do some hamstring, quad, and calf stretches. If your knees are hurting, elevate your legs for a few minutes, or apply an icepack (keep one in your friends' pack).
- When going downhill, step slowly, and don't be afraid to crouch down and use your hands. The more slowly you move, the less jarring motions you'll feel in your knees.
- If you have injured knees, choose a hike that has subtle, gradual hills rather than rigidly steep ones.
Havaianas
Hi!
Your suggestions are fabulous! I work at an elite outdoor retail company and work with products like you describe above. To your suggestions I would add my own to help people make a more informed decision about their gear:
1) "So wear trail runners or hiking shoes that go over your ankle." Usually train runners do not go above the ankle (at least the ones that I work with) but mid to high hiking boots will. Trail runners are good for people running trails or doing light hiking. TR's are good cause they're super light but highly supportive. They usually have a plastic shank in the shoe which is a piece of plastic that runs from the hell to toe or half way in between. The shank provides stability and helps keep the foot in a neutral position to compensate for pronation or supination. Some good ones are from Solomon like these: http://www.salomonrunning.com/us/footwear/footwear/trail-running/xt-wing... and http://www.salomonrunning.com/us/footwear/footwear/trail-running/xa-pro-....
Hiking boots are amazingly varied and can run from mid to high height. A good hiking boot will have a full plastic shank that runs the length of the foot and is less than half an inch thick. This also provides the same benefits of the trail runner but it also helps reduce foot fatigue over long hauls (i.e., 12-20+ miles a day backpacking or ultralighting). A high cut boot will also lock the ankle down (by ways of height and proper lacing techniques) thereby locking the heel down so as to prevent blisters (which USUALLY result from a poorly fitting boot though not always).
2) "Invest in a pair of trekking poles." This is a great suggestion! I LOVE and ADORE my trekking poles!! I took mine up to Mammoth this summer and would NOT have gotten up those mountains without them. A good pair of trekking poles will have some kind of locking mechanism that keeps them at the length that you set them to prior to your hike. Usually 90 degrees is a good height to have them at. Use the hand holds to keep the poles on your wrists while you are navigating tough slopes.
3) "Go easy on the gear." Great advice for people doing casual hiking or short, intense hikes. A lot of gear is not required for a short hike. Just water, food, layers, and maybe a GPS or SPOT in case you get lost.
If you or any of your readers have questions, a good place to look is www.rei.com. They have videos and lots of in depth articles on a wide range of topics. Thanks for writing a great article!
1Sara
Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.