After hiking for a while, not many people have knees that are completely problem-free. It’s quite common to hear veteran hikers say their knees ache from time to time — this is a fairly widespread issue among them.
So how do you protect your knees? Some say wear knee pads, others recommend using trekking poles, some advise reducing the load you carry, and others suggest using medication for maintenance... All these suggestions are valid, all need attention, and ideally should all be put into practice. But none of them fundamentally solve the issue of knee protection.
From years of hiking experience, I’ve learned that the way to protect your knees is to not use them at all.
That might sound like a bizarre claim or an overstatement.
Not use your knees? Does that mean you should fly? Of course not. Not using your knees means relying on your muscles instead.
Many hikers, especially when descending, unconsciously put their entire body weight on their knee joints, causing the thigh bone and shin bone to collide directly at the knee. Relying on the knee joint to absorb shock and brake through hard impact can save energy. But doing this over the long term makes the knees particularly prone to injury.
Not using your knees means not letting gravity be entirely absorbed by the knee joint in an instant, nor relying solely on the bones of the knee to forcibly brake. Instead, you should use the muscles of your thighs and calves to distribute the force and control braking. Let the strength be evenly dispersed across the leg muscles, using the muscles to control descent speed, starts, and stops. Consciously use your muscles to support your body weight, and focus intently on muscle movement, which greatly reduces the impact on your knees.
The specific method is this: while walking, especially when stepping down during a descent, don’t fully straighten your legs. Keep them slightly bent, as if they were springs. Walk with elasticity and lightness. Your feet should land on the outer edges and the balls of your feet (trained athletes know this), with the heels only serving to stabilize balance and control direction.
This requires good leg muscle strength. Most people who suffer knee injuries from too much hiking tend to have underdeveloped or weak leg muscles. Strengthening leg muscles isn’t difficult: you can do moderate strength training with equipment, or improve through exercises like squats and leg lifts. Of course, every time you hike, try to change your habits — walk elastically, let your body move along with the flexing of your legs, and gradually your leg muscles will grow stronger.
Walking with more reliance on your leg muscles and less on your knees not only protects your knees but also strengthens your leg muscles and serves as leg exercise. Moreover, using muscles requires constant mental focus (whereas those who rely on their knees often forget about leg movement when tired, walk unsteadily, and are more prone to mistakes and accidents). By being mindful of your muscles, you also pay more attention to your legs and the terrain, reducing the risk of accidents. Using your leg muscles more also keeps them agile, allowing for quicker reactions in unexpected situations.
Using muscles more and reducing joint impact isn’t just applicable to the knees — it applies to the waist, shoulders, elbows, and other areas as well. For example, the waist: while hiking, because you’re carrying a load, you shouldn’t stand completely upright. Instead, keep a slight bend to allow the lumbar vertebrae to cushion the downward impact of gravity through the back and waist muscles. Naturally, you shouldn’t maintain one posture for too long; you should frequently adjust and move around. The waist is extremely important — some hikers develop back pain or even chronic conditions due to improper carrying methods, which affects their daily life. That’s truly regrettable.
Using your muscles more is a basic principle. Although it may lead to more fatigue, with long-term training, your muscles will significantly strengthen, your body will become particularly fit and healthy, and fatigue will greatly decrease. In fact, you may even endure longer than if you relied on your joints.
Hiker's Words Outdoor Network Hiking Knowledge (http://bbs.xzwyu.com)