Does hiking help your body or break it down?

[Tom Rankin]

Extracting this from another thread:

I was out recently with a friend who hikes a LOT, and it struck me how much hiking muscle one develops over time. When I first started, many moons ago now, I used to roll my ankle something terrifying. Now, even as I'm getting older and slower, I do fee like my legs and ankles can take a lot of burden and still keep me upright where earlier I would have fallen and gotten injured. That isn't bragging! Rather, I think it's just simply that if someone does something long enough, she or he builds up the ability to take what is tossed at her or him better than newcomers.

Does everyone find this to be true? I've met people who have said that hiking has wrecked their knees, given them feeble ankles, problems with upper body due to carrying heavy packs, etc., etc. And a bad fall could be a serious injury or even fatal.

But of course, there are benefits, aerobically, and physically, not to mention mentally and spiritually, Oh wait, let's keep that in the OTHER thread!

Like many things in life, the answer is probably, 'it depends', but do YOU say? What factors can make or 'break' a hiker's body?

My factors are age, training, weight, stretching, appropriate gear, and a dose of common sense.

 

[sardog1]

Years of bushwhacking at night with a pack probably played a role in the arthritis I now experience. And in keeping me sound in mind.

 

[Raven]

Extracting this from another thread:



Does everyone find this to be true? I've met people who have said that hiking has wrecked their knees, given them feeble ankles, problems with upper body due to carrying heavy packs, etc., etc. And a bad fall could be a serious injury or even fatal.

Like you said, I think it depends. In my case:

15+ years of competitive tennis on hard courts left me with patella tendonitis, quadricep tendonitis, some meniscus deterioration, and tennis elbow, of course*. Minor stuff in the grand scheme. But tennis also really develops the support muscles around ankles and knees allowing for that "spring-like" return when one starts to roll an ankle, etc. Support for lateral movement and quick change of direction is strengthened.

I feel very lucky that all of the above problems went away when I stopped playing tennis five days a week and do not bother me across the Northern Presis or after multiple days of hard hiking.

The other factors I think are important in avoiding injury (short and long term) are core strength development, not carrying a lot of weight, hydration and electrolyte balance, and avoiding stepping on slanted, wet logs with no bark (i.e. common sense). Not aiming too high and knowing your body's range is good too. Recovery IMO has a lot to do with nutrition.

My experience has been similar to Brian's in that over time, the support muscles around my knees and ankles have strengthened and maybe become more flexible resulting in fewer injuries like ankle rolls.

Edit: *forgot to add plantar fasciitis as well. It's fine hiking. Tennis brings it back quickly and intensive calf stretching, etc. become necessary.

 

[cushetunk]

Because of some reading I've done lately, I've been thinking more about what goes into structured "training" for outdoor activities. One thing that seems clear is that, in order to do hard work, you need a base of a large amount of low-intensity work.

For hiking, I suspect this means that if you are doing lots of easy and moderate hiking and walking, and only occasional hikes that push your limit, then overall you are probably helping yourself.

On the other hand, alternating between complete inactivity and strenuous hiking is probably much more taxing and potentially harmful.

 

[natron]

prolly the only negative to hiking is the stress to knees during downhiking.

 

[dug]

I don't think there is any doubt my knees and ankle issues are related to, but not the sole cause, from hiking. I've suffered from, literally, every foot injury imaginable. My PT noticed how loose my ankles are when walking, and asked if I ever twisted an ankle. I replied "my passions are soccer and hiking, so it's fair to say I've turned an ankle over a thousand times". That in turn causes stress on my achilles, and the rest of my foot.

It goes with the territory. No complaints, and I think overall I'm better for it, but with any physical activity, there are some risks/rewards that need to be weighed.

 

[DougPaul]

Does hiking help your body or break it down?

Yes.

Doug

 

[Driver8]

... with any physical activity, there are some risks/rewards that need to be weighed.

This is the key point. Also, I think knowing one's limits and using common sense, as Raven says, are important. Anything that injures you contributes to the breakdown of your body. I believe that so long as you can avoid major injury, the benefit/cost balance sheet with hiking, on the physical side, is heavily weighted to the plus.

Having pulled a half dozen big, for me, hikes this summer, I'm feeling very strong and sound and find the routine gym exercise comes pretty easily. Nice feeling.

 

[TJsName]

prolly the only negative to hiking is the stress to knees during downhiking.

I would say that most of the people I hike with have a harder time with the downhills, but those people already have issues not from hiking. I love the downhills and tend to ease off the brakes a bit, which seems to help reduce the load. The most 'painful' downhills are the ones that I have to keep the brakes on (such as the Sphinx Trail, which was a fairly slow descent). In general I try to plan my hikes to go up the steeps and down something that is more gentle (either less steep, or good footing). I haven't noticed any significant problems aside from hyper-extending my knee when I accidentally stepped into a small hole on the mighty Brunnel Trail. It's like skiing - I only fall if I'm standing still.

 

[jfb]

I'm pretty confident that hiking helps build a strong body, but there's the risk of overuse injuries in many sports. Here's a bit of free advice.

 

[Stan]

I'm fairly certain that overdoing something can be as bad as not doing it at all. That's why I do different things in moderation ... paddling, hiking, soccer, gardening, nothin' ... and always follow it up with a dose of tequila which, in my experience, prevents arthritis.

 

[Mike Z]

Everyone knows that first step out of the car after a long hike. Oooooooh. That is usually how I feel with the first ten steps out of bed. But after that I am fine. I don't seem to feel much of anything as long as I am moving.it is when I get up after sitting still. I have been a carpenter all my life. There is a lot of movement in that job. I never seem to need a lot of warm up before a hike. I have never seriously injured myself while hiking. So many times I have twisted or pulled my back just by standing there and turning. How does that happen? My knees act up every once and a while. But very rarely from hiking. I never go to a gym. To me that is asking for trouble. Plus there is not much for views or fresh air. I will take my chances in the woods. As for the other aches and pains, I attribute them to getting older. I don't know if I would still have them if I didn't hike. So for now, I am going to hike before I can't hike anymore. There is always Motrin.
MZ

 

[Chip]

Before I got back into hiking I had bad knees and had never had a hernia pop & repaired.
Those are not now the case.
On balance and in moderation it's been a net positive.

 

[blacknblue]

Yes.

Doug

Exactly. It shouldn't be an either/or question, but a both/and. For the most part, as has been stated, moderate hiking, meaning well within ones range of ability, is very beneficial. Certainly a single day Pemi Loop sure felt a lot more like breaking down than building up (for me, anyway). But moderate hikes and trail running/jogging have helped increase strength and endurance, and, I would assert, more than make up for any long-term breaking down.

 

[Mike P.]

I'm fairly certain that overdoing something can be as bad as not doing it at all. That's why I do different things in moderation ... paddling, hiking, soccer, gardening, nothin' ... and always follow it up with a dose of tequila which, in my experience, prevents arthritis.

Moderation is the key of course. I believe it's hops though, not "to kill you" that prevents arthritis though, especially IPA's.

 

[Puma concolor]

This is a silly discussion.

It's all dependent upon a person's level of fitness when they begin involving themselves in the activity. The internet is full of folks who spend their 20s and 30s playing desk jockey and changing diapers before "discovering" the mountains deep into middle age. Such types are far more likely to have negative physical effects associated with hiking than those who maintain a consistent, uninterrupted level of fitness starting during youth.

 

[sierra]

People who hike on a regular basis tend to have less injuries or issues, ( ok, Ill speak for myself). People who hike sporadically are more prone to stress injuries. I went through a spell of Patella Tendon issues years ago. My doctor suggested 6 months no hiking. I lasted 2 weeks. I bought poles and neoprene braces and hiked every week. My knees healed as I hiked, now they are stronger then ever. I did get them scanned much later and scar tissue has filled in around the healthy tendon. have you ever heard of Terry Fox?, check out his story.

 

[WhiteMTHike]

This is a silly discussion.

It's all dependent upon a person's level of fitness when they begin involving themselves in the activity. The internet is full of folks who spend their 20s and 30s playing desk jockey and changing diapers before "discovering" the mountains deep into middle age. Such types are far more likely to have negative physical effects associated with hiking than those who maintain a consistent, uninterrupted level of fitness starting during youth.

True. I've (unfortunetly) been a desk jockey since I was in my 20s and still am. However, I've also always spent every spare moment I have working out in the gym with both weights and cardio and also playing/coaching lacrosse. Even though I am a white colloar desk jockey I have also maintained a high level of fitness when on my own time. I have simply incoporated hiking into my active lifestyle without any negative physical effects... Although as I am getting older, going downhill is getting a lot tougher on the knees.

 

[peakbagger]

My personal experience is mixed. I used to have pulmonary function testing for work on a yearly basis and usually scored very high every year. I also had a full cardiac stress test a few years ago and maxed out the tread mill test. One down side to hiking the AT over a roughly 10 year period is that my hip joints are now somewhat attuned to the weather and I had to shift over from wide shoes to extra wide. I also have a knee that is giving indications that at some point in the future it may be a issue. I ascribe much of my hiking longevity to adopting trekking poles early on (20 plus years).

Overall a major plus to date and compared to my contemporaries that are not hikers, the difference in overall fitness is noticeable. I am an advocate of "it you don't use it, you lose it"

I do tend to disagree with the statement that folks who take up hiking when they are older after a relatively sedentary youth have more injuries. I have encountered many people who didn't take up hiking in earnest until the kids where out of the house and it sure doesnt appear to me that they have any more long term issues than consistent hikers, although many end up having to have past issues addressed that they tolerated previously. On the other hand I have encountered folks over the years who overdid it when young (like former AMC hut crews) that trashed their knees early on and now don't hike anymore as their "youthful excess" have caught up with them