Is hiking bad for your knees?

If people usually want to go to a nearby place, they usually hike. Many people think that hiking is a normal activity and has no effect on human health. However, if you hike too much, you will feel very uncomfortable in your knees. This is the knee joint pain caused by walking too much. You need to reduce your activity as much as possible. So, is hiking bad for your knees?

Excessive hiking can damage your knees irreversibly! How can you save your joints?

The damage caused to joints by excessive hiking is irreversible.

Different people walk different amounts every day. For young and middle-aged people, 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day is a normal walking amount; for the elderly, 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day can achieve exercise effects. If you exceed this amount, it will be considered excessive exercise, which will cause damage to the knee joint.

If you are experiencing knee swelling, pain, difficulty walking, difficulty going up and down stairs, difficulty squatting after standing, and difficulty standing up after squatting, then you should consider whether you have knee osteoarthritis!

Long-term hiking with incorrect techniques can cause shin inflammation and soreness.

Mistake 1: Poor posture

There are two most common posture errors hikers make when walking: lowering the head, or raising the head too high and leaning the body backward. Both of these positions can cause the body to lose balance and put undue stress on the lower back muscles, which can lead to strain and pain.

Correction: Don't look up or down, look straight ahead, and keep your neck and body in a straight line. And make sure your shoulders are relaxed.

Mistake 2: The body is too loose

Shaking your hands too vigorously, taking big steps, and stomping your feet when you land are all common signs of a loose body while walking. Hikers who walk against the norm will not only lose speed but may also suffer from shin inflammation and soreness.

Correction: Keep your arms close to your body. Swinging your arms too far will waste too much energy. The ideal arm swing pattern is to keep your arms bent at 90 degrees, your elbows close to your body, and swing forward and backward.

Error 3: Line duplication

Every hiker knows that the more fun a workout is, the better, but experts say many hikers are too lazy to plan their routes. "Many walkers don't plan their walks to keep them interesting, so they often walk the same route, which then gets boring."

Correction method: Change the scene, take a different route, and occasionally try hiking. You can try changing the speed during walking, such as walking at a very fast speed for 30 seconds and then relaxing for 90 seconds; or walking a longer distance, which can further challenge the physical fitness of individual hikers, but experts recommend that the walking distance per week should only be increased by 5% at most. Also, you should take a day or two off occasionally to avoid overwork.

Mistake 4: Memorizing too much

Mobile phones, notebooks, water bottles... Some walkers carry large bags and stuff them with things they think they will need. In fact, carrying too heavy things will put too much pressure on the knees and make them prone to injury.

Correction method: It is best to go empty-handed, and at most carry water, a towel to wipe sweat, and a hat to protect against the sun. Also, a backpack is better than a single-shoulder bag because the shoulders are evenly stressed and are less likely to tilt.

Mistake 5: Starting without warming up, or stopping immediately at the finish line

If you start walking without warming up or stretching, you may easily strain your muscles; if you suddenly stop while walking, the blood may not flow back to your head, making you dizzy.

Correction method: If the venue is suitable, you can stretch your muscles first to relax them. You can also start slowly and spend 5 minutes walking first. This will increase blood flow to your leg muscles and achieve a warm-up effect, and then gradually increase your speed. When you are approaching the terminal, give yourself 5 minutes to slowly slow down and don't stop immediately.

Mistake 6: Doing things beyond your capabilities

Beginners or people who have not exercised for a long time often ignore their own physical strength and physical condition and set goals too high, which in turn creates a burden.

Correction method: It is recommended to start with walking for 15 minutes a day, and exercise at least 5 days a week. From the second week onwards, increase to 20 minutes, and gradually accumulate into a habit of walking for more than 30 minutes a day. Doctors remind that "brisk walking" is not about walking blindly, but requires a scientific method. You must start training gradually on a relatively flat road and find the intensity that suits you based on your body's reaction the next day.