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You’ve just hiked a few miles uphill and now your muscles feel like limp noodles, your lungs burn, your back aches, and your feet feel like you’ve just walked barefoot on a bed of nails. You’re practically exhausted and your body is crying out in agony. Although this is killing you now, you know that the more advanced you becoming in hiking and the tougher your trips, the worse the pain will be. But you have to do it because you love hiking.
Whatever kind of hiking you’re into, day hikes, backpacking, or trail runs, you need to understand that your post-hiking care is important. Strenuous hiking can cause injuries and lactic acid builds up in the muscles, which can keep any hiker out of the game for weeks. Experienced hikers know that there are certain precautions they can take to ensure that leg, knee, and foot problems don’t occur during a hike.
It’s bad enough to get injured, but it's even worse when you have to hike back down a hill with a swollen ankle and blisters. Hiking uphill can be easier than hiking back down because descending puts more stress on your muscles. If you have a knee injury, you may be in for some serious discomfort all the way back down. When you are coming back down with your injured knee your body is going through some serious stress, causing more lactic acid to build up in your muscles causing you to experience a burning sensation in your legs.
Don’t let the overbearing pain keep you from pursuing your goals on the hiking trail. There is nothing in the world that can compare to that victorious feeling when you reach the pinnacle of a hike.
Here are some hiking tips that can ensure a less painful hike:
- Keep the pace slow and steady. Pacing yourself helps your body condition itself for the journey.
- Start off slow. Go for short hikes before you go on longer ones. This will prepare your legs for more strenuous hikes.
- Stretch your muscles well before you start the hike.
- Take and drink lots of water, and prepare before hand by eating complex carbohydrates. Take snacks for longer hikes.
- Wear sturdy weather-proof hiking boots that fit perfectly.
- Along with your boots, wear socks that are designed to keep your feet dry, like those made of Coolmax. This helps minimize blisters.
- Use a walking stick. This helps distribute your weight, taking pressure off your knees and feet.
Here are some things you can do after the hike to reduce some of the pain:
- Do some cool down exercises and stretching after the hike. Don’t let your joints lock up because this will cause more pain later.
- Apply ice to your painful areas.
- Some people use anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen to reduce swelling and help with the pain.
Of couse, the more you hike and the better shape you get yourself in, the fewer of these problems you may have. See you on the trails.
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By Bobby Ivie
Bobby Ivie is an avid fishman and owner of Fishing-Hunting-Camping.com and Fishing-Articles.net
This article may be reprinted as long as this source box is added and the source box hyperlinks are kept intact.
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