Snowshoe pain

[audrey]

Pat and I both got quite a bit of pain while snowshoeing downhill last week. It's in the hip area and in the front, like a lower belly muscle that gets stretched when the leg is pointing down the hill with the extra weight of the snowshoes. Maybe posture needs adjusting?

Hiking is OK, and cross-country skiing is fine too. I'd have thought it was weird we got the same pain, but when you're married so long, there seems to be some strange empathic thing that happens.

Has anyone else experienced this? We have Atlas 1025's, not too heavy.

 

[OldMan]

My hips usually bother me on the first several trips with snowshoes in the winter season. I find it gets better as the season wears on. Also stretching these muscles before starting seems to help me.

 

[stu]

Hi Audrey, On my first long snowshoe hike this winter (Isolation), I also had a bit of hip pain after the hike. It lasted for several days! I'm chalking it up to getting older......Stu

 

[ColdRiverRun]

It's your hip flexor / Psoas muscle. When you are bringing your knees higher it causes tilting in the pelvic girdle, add in the extra weight and it gets soar quick. It's a very odd acting muscle because it will get tight and almost not even release when bad. It is also a leading cause for lower back pain since it attaches on one side to the lower lumbar region. If you google there is plenty of stretch routines out there.

The "it gets better as the season goes on" is because the muscle gains strength like any other would in a training routine. That is as long as it doesn't get to tight.

 

[audrey]

Wow, that psoas muscle...who knew? I found a number of websites that give good clear instructions for exercises and for prevention.

Thanks so much, this might even be responsible for Pat's back pain. I'll report in a couple of weeks how we did.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

There are several hip flexor exercises/machines you can do at the gym, starting in October, which help.

Tim

 

[mtnpa]

I've experienced the "strange empathic thing" but not the snowshoe pain

 

[Trainwreck]

The hip flexor can be a pesky bothersome thing.
The key is GENTLE stretching exercises. I find they bother me less if I stretch them AFTER I exercise. It is warm and lubricated and amenable to stretching.
That said, I suffered terribly this weekend after a snowshoe hike. Didn't follow my own advice until it was too late...

 

[WhiteMTHike]

There are several hip flexor exercises/machines you can do at the gym, starting in October, which help.

Tim

True. I find these two to be helpful.

 

[Bigfoot]

I have similar issues with my first snowshoe outing every year. It generally goes away the more I go out. When I am done for the day a good internal rubdown with alcohol helps.