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BACKPACKING ARTICLES
Pre-hiking suggestions to minimize pain:
Get fitted with sturdy, stable boots or trail running shoes. Buy shoes/boots that are at to 1 full size larger than your regular shoe size. After several hours of hiking, feet will swell and need room to expand.
Wear socks made of Coolmax® for moisture control and to minimize blisters.
Pre-condition legs weeks before a strenuous hike by doing short hill hikes and strengthening exercises (squats, lunges, step-ups and step-downs). You can also increase your lactic acid threshold and level of fatigue (thereby lowering the occurrence of sore muscles) by increasing your activity level and training at 85%-90% of your maximum heart rate for at least 20 minutes daily.
Use stretching exercises for problem areas such as hamstring, IT band, etc. to increase flexibility. If needed, wear leg braces to stabilize knees and help reduce stress. Neoprene braces can be purchased over the counter at any drug store. Stay hydrated and eat carbohydrates and protein during and after the hike. This can help minimize lactic acid build-up.
Use a hiking pole(s) to redistribute weight, help with balance and reduce stress on the knees. Learn the technique of heel-to-toe walking so as to make full contact with heel to the ground. Try to control uphill and downhill progression so as not to bound, go too fast, or "pound" the trail.
Slightly bend knees when descending. Make a conscious effort to keep weight centered with the knee tracking directly over the toe (no twisting in or out). An automatic response to descending a hill is to lean backwards, rather than stay centered. This can result in injury, such as IT Band Friction Syndrome.
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