In recent days, Ningbo has enjoyed pleasant temperatures and blooming spring flowers, prompting many people to choose to climb to high places and enjoy the scenery. For a time, the city’s ancient paths and mountain trails have been crowded with hikers.
Hiking is originally a leisure activity that strengthens the body and soothes the mind, but yesterday, reporters learned from several hospitals in Ningbo that some people had the opposite experience, coming down with what could be called “hiking illnesses,” including heart attack recurrence, knee joint damage, ankle sprains, and pollen allergies.
Elderly person suffers heart failure from overexertion while hiking
Tip: Those with cardiovascular history should preferably set out after 10 a.m.
Lao Xiao, 67, is generally in good health. Since retiring in recent years, he has often played chess, practiced calligraphy, and taken walks with a few friends of similar age.
With the weather improving recently, two days ago, Lao Xiao eagerly dug out his sportswear, invited his “old buddy” Lao Zhu, and went hiking in Yinzhou District early in the morning.
On a weekday, there weren’t many hikers. The birds chirped especially crisply, the sun was bright, and the air was fresh. Lao Xiao got excited as soon as he entered the mountains. After walking for about ten minutes, he suggested a race to see who could reach the mountaintop first. Lao Zhu readily agreed.
The two of them strode briskly, and neither could pull ahead at first. But after about half an hour, Lao Xiao noticeably lagged behind. Watching his companion get farther and farther away, he grew anxious. Just as he was about to speed up, he suddenly felt breathless, tightness in his chest, unable to even call out to Lao Zhu, and had to lean against a tree by the trail to rest.
Lao Zhu hiked on for a while but grew suspicious when he couldn’t see Lao Xiao. He turned back to look for him and found him pale, drenched in sweat, and gasping for breath by the tree. He quickly took him to the hospital.
Doctors said that Lao Xiao had preexisting cardiac insufficiency, or heart failure. The strenuous hiking and depletion of stamina caused his heart function to decline, triggering the recurrence of his old condition.
Doctor’s advice: Lou Kinan, associate chief physician of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Li Huili Hospital, said that although hiking may seem like a simple activity, it is actually very physically demanding. Dr. Lou advised that people with conditions such as coronary heart disease, cardiac insufficiency, or hypertension must take it step by step when hiking, enjoy the process, rest when tired, and preferably hike with someone familiar with the trails so they can get better medical help if needed. In addition to taking regular oral medication, they should also carry emergency medicine.
Dr. Lou noted that the hours from around 5 or 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. are peak times for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Those with related medical histories who plan to hike should preferably avoid this period and set out at noon or in the afternoon.
Overweight woman hikes to lose weight, ends up injuring her knee joint
Tip: It’s best to repeatedly bend and stretch your legs during breaks to relax them
Xiao Cheng is a white-collar worker at a foreign trade company. In her mid-twenties, she is at the age where she cares most about looking good, so losing weight has become a necessary routine for her.
The weekend hadn’t even arrived yet when Xiao Cheng started checking the weather and looking up routes. She planned to go hiking in Fenghua with her best friend over the weekend to enjoy nature and burn calories — killing two birds with one stone.
On Saturday, the trio set off cheerfully. While hiking, Xiao Cheng lagged behind, often falling behind her companions, who would then wait for her under the shade of a tree before continuing. As a result, apart from lunchtime, Xiao Cheng hardly rested at all throughout the hike. Though utterly exhausted, she secretly rejoiced: “I should have lost a kilo, right?”
But the next day, she woke up to find her left knee in excruciating pain, unable to bear weight, and feeling sore and swollen. She had to go to the hospital for a check-up, and the diagnosis was: patellofemoral joint damage in the knee caused by hiking.
Doctor’s advice: He Zhiyong, associate chief physician of the Department of Joint Surgery at Ningbo No. 6 Hospital, said that every spring and autumn, there is a particularly high number of patients with knee joint injuries caused by hiking, and the age group affected is getting younger. Most cases involve injuries to the patellofemoral joint or ligaments.
When walking, the knee joint bears 2–4 times the body’s weight, about 10 times when going uphill, and up to 20 times when going downhill. Therefore, overweight individuals need to be especially cautious when hiking and should preferably avoid it. If they must hike, they should take proper breaks and not “wear out” their knees.
Additionally, those who have previously injured their lower limbs should also be vigilant when hiking and preferably get confirmation from a hospital on whether it’s suitable for them to hike.
Dr. He recommended not going all out in one go when hiking. Prepare your body properly before the climb, take adequate breaks during the hike, and since the ride home usually takes a long time, it’s best to repeatedly and gently flex and extend your legs on the way to avoid your legs shifting directly from intense activity to a stiff state.