Rule of Staying Within Limits:
Outdoor sports are often described as “pushing limits and challenging oneself,” but there are limits to what can be considered a limit, and challenges come at a cost. Occasional extreme efforts may be acceptable, but constantly pushing yourself too hard is not advisable. Regular high-intensity activity is a direct cause of chronic injuries, which begin unnoticed and become apparent only when it’s too late, leaving you with no choice but to watch the clouds drift by with a walking stick. As the old saying goes, what doesn’t show now will show later; what doesn’t show in youth will show in old age. As the proverb wisely states, while there's life, there's hope.
Rule of Knowing Your Strengths:
Being fast doesn’t mean you can carry heavy loads; being able to carry loads doesn’t mean you can climb; being good at climbing doesn’t mean you can run fast. Everyone has their own strengths in sports, and conversely, also has activities that aren’t suited to them. If you think putting on an extra pair of underwear makes you Superman, then injuries—or worse—are not far off. Just as rabbits have their way of running and turtles have their way of moving.
Rule of Essential Gear:
Choosing gear is like choosing a spouse — there’s no such thing as the best, only the most suitable. A pair of hiking boots worth thousands might not perform well in everyday activities, and wearing sneakers to climb a snow mountain means taking on greater risks. Proper gear is not just about having the right tools, but also understanding and using them correctly. For Rambo, a jungle knife might be enough to handle many situations, but for you, it might take two big backpacks full of equipment. As history of social development tells us: humans are the only animals that can use and create tools.
Rule of Scientific Outdoor Practice:
Many people are willing to spend thousands on gear but hesitate to spend ten bucks on a lecture. The direct cause of an injury may be a simple fall, but the indirect cause could be a lack of outdoor knowledge and sports skills. Especially when ambition and enthusiasm grow unchecked, insufficient experience and skills can lead to dangerous situations. As they say, even a rough-and-ready person can make money, but that doesn’t mean a philosopher’s thoughts are useless.
Rule of Pacing Yourself:
During outdoor activities, it’s important to rest properly—take at least a 5–10 minute static break after every hour of exercise. After intense activity, you should do some lighter movements to allow your cardiovascular system to recover, help eliminate metabolic waste from your muscles, and gradually ease your body into a resting state. Nutrition should mainly include replenishing water and electrolytes. An overly fatigued or undernourished body is not only prone to acute sports injuries but also chronic ones. However, overeating without restraint won’t help with nutrition—it might even have the opposite effect. Remember, enjoying the scenery is also a way to adjust your pace.
Rule of Warming Up:
Many people overlook the warm-up before outdoor activities. As soon as the team leader gives the signal, everyone starts moving. If you encounter tough terrains like coastlines, steep cliffs, or rocky slopes right from the start, injuries are more likely. A proper warm-up increases blood flow and oxygen intake, improves nerve conduction and responsiveness, enhances circulation and oxygen supply, and reduces joint stiffness while increasing your range of motion. So, before starting any outdoor hike, consider doing a warm-up routine or some simple stretching. Just like cars need to warm up in winter, so do we.
Editor: North Wind