It’s spring! Take a hike! And when we say that, we mean that in the most loving, positive way possible. Hiking has a host of amazing health benefits for both body and mind. It’s a great way to enjoy the mental health benefits of being in nature while also boosting your physical fitness:

Hiking can burn up to 400 calories an hour, depending on the difficulty of the terrain.
A weekend hike that lasts longer than 150 minutes can boost your blood oxygen levels and cardiovascular health.
As a weight-bearing exercise, hiking can help you maintain your bone density.
Hiking is also great for controlling blood sugar, maintaining a healthy weight, and improving your sleep.

Here at A Life in Balance Physical Therapy Flemington NJ, we are big fans of hiking, as are a lot of our patients. But we also want to offer a word of caution: Hiking can come with risks and surprises if you are unprepared. And even when you’re prepared, you can run into unexpected challenges from the weather, poison ivy, mosquitoes, and injuries. So today, Dr. Paula Czapla, an avid hiker herself, wants to share some tips about avoiding risks, preparing your joints and muscles to handle your hikes, and what to do with hiking injuries if you get them.

Dr. Paula’s 10 Hiking Tips for a Strong Season

“I have come to realize that being outside and exercising outside is an essential part of my mental health and self-care routine,” says Dr. Paula. “Exercise has always been an important part of my life, but exercising outside… having fresh air and sunlight takes it to the next level.”

Hiking is an exciting way to explore nature and get great exercise. “We see a lot of people who have some very cool hiking opportunities from Machu Picchu to the Grand Canyon,” says Dr. Paula. “Spring hiking can come with surprises and risks, though. So, keep in mind that every hike, big or seemingly small, requires preparation.”

1. Know Your Fitness Level and Pick the Right Hike

“After a sedentary winter, many hikers push too hard, too fast,” says Dr. Paula. “Sudden increases in activity often lead to foot pain, joint issues, and muscle strain.” Start with a shorter, more leisurely hike if you’ve been out of the hiking scene for a while, and build up to gradually more challenging hikes as you get back to a higher fitness level.

2. Wear Supportive Hiking Shoes

Wear good-fitting, comfortable hiking shoes or boots that will support and protect your feet on rocky, muddy, tree-root-scattered hikes. Make sure there is plenty of cushion and support on the inside and good soles with strong traction.

“You want comfortable yet supportive shoes that match the terrain you are on,” says Dr. Paula. “I wear Solomon hiking boots when I’m going uphill. They allow for proper ankle support and a great lacing system.”

The correct hiking shoes or boots can keep your heels, arches, toes, and ankles well-supported. Poor footwear can lead to severe heel pain, which requires plantar fasciitis treatment.

3. Use Hiking Poles to Help Your Posture and Stability

If you’ve avoided using hiking poles or hiking sticks in the past, now is the time to get into the groove. Hiking poles can reduce strain and help activate the proper core muscles, helping you maintain the correct posture while hiking uphill to protect your back. They can also provide additional stability on uneven, challenging terrain, which can help you prevent hiking injuries.

“I was once hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains and had a lot of hip pain,” says Dr. Paula. “It was during that hike that I realized the huge benefit of hiking sticks. I was in my mid-30s at the time and the terrain wasn’t particularly challenging, but the sticks allowed me to use the right muscles and hike further and with less pain than I would have been able to without them. I now use that technique in the office to help people train how to use the proper muscles while walking and hiking.”

4. Pack it in, Pack it Out

“Nature is very important for us to keep clean, and we need to leave it the way we found it,” urges Dr. Paula. The National Parks Service “Leave No Trace” page advises people to only pack in what they can pack out and to “Take only memories & pictures, leave only footprints.” This ensures that hikers who follow for years to come can enjoy the magical natural scenery that you enjoy on your hike, too.

5. Pack a Smart Backpack

Speaking of packing it in, carry enough water, snacks, and, if necessary, weather gear, a first aid kit, and other supplies you might need. Check the weather beforehand so you know what to expect and how to keep yourself safe and comfortable. Limit your packing to just the essentials so that you don’t overload your backpack, which can cause back and shoulder pain. Also, be sure to ask Dr. Paula about adjusting your backpack straps and weight load so it rides comfortably with as little stress and strain on your body as possible.

6. Bring a Buddy

For safety reasons, it’s always good to go with a friend or friends when you go hiking, especially on longer hikes. If you decide to go on your own, make sure to let trusted family and friends know where you’re going and when you expect to be back. Having a friend can also motivate you to keep going when the terrain gets challenging, or be there for you if you need help. Dr. Paula loves to take her dog, Colbie Grace.

“If you can, bring your dog. In the beginning, it may be a little frustrating, but after a few times out, your furry friend will get so much out of it, and it will help motivate you to continue. My Colbie Grace is my hiking companion, and she truly loves it more than I do. On days when I don’t really feel like going, one look on her face and I can’t say no!”

In addition to these hiking preparedness tips and hiking injury-prevention strategies, Dr. Paula advises people to visit the National Parks Service website about hiking safety for more great advice. Following these tips can help you prevent injuries and stay safe while having a happy hike.

7. Train and Do PT Before Hiking to Avoid Injuries

"It’s always better to prepare and prevent than repair and repent," goes the old saying. And that’s certainly true for trying to avoid hiking injuries, as Dr. Paula explains:

“The springtime marks a new start in exercise for a lot of people,” she says. "The days are longer, there is more sunlight, and the temperature is more tolerable. Whenever there is a stark increase in sunny weather, we see an uptick in injuries for our weekend warriors, including hikers. People go from 0-10 thinking that they are in the same shape as they were the last time they worked out, but sometimes that just isn’t the case. On the flip side, people can be afraid to start a new exercise program if they have been more sedentary for a while. So, that isn’t great either. Our bodies need to move. If you are worried, you should see a physical therapist to help you get your plan together.”

Pre-Hike PT for the Win

Dr. Paula mentions a great example of one of our patients who had some physical challenges and wanted to prepare to go on a big hiking vacation with his family. Matty started working with the ALIB physical therapy team several weeks in advance, so he was able to successfully tackle some serious hiking in Glacier National Park. Matty’s experience is a textbook example of how physical therapy can help prepare you for taking on a big hike, or any physical activity challenge you’ve set your sights on.

Benefits of Pre-Hike Physical Therapy

PT helps you strengthen all the right muscles, correct poor movement patterns, and build endurance safely. Body blueprint evaluations at ALIB identify and address imbalances before they turn into injuries. Our one-on-one, pre-hike exercise coaching often includes moves like bridges, lunges, and flexibility exercises like yoga.

“Injury prevention is always a really exciting part of my job,” says Dr. Paula. “Blueprinting allows me to troubleshoot potential movement compensations with people while also working to strengthen their muscles in the right way. We also coach hikers on endurance, breathing, and recovery. It’s always super fun.”

8. Before You Go: Be Aware of the Most Common Hiking Injuries

Some of the most common hiking injuries Dr. Paula helps patients overcome include:

Plantar fasciitis from overuse or poor footwear
Knee and hip pain from weak glutes or poor mechanics
Lower back strain from steep or uneven terrain or an improperly loaded backpack

Wearing the right footwear to keep from needing plantar fasciitis treatment, using hiking poles with training here at our Physical Therapy Flemington NJ center, getting a backpack fitting evaluation, and training with some daily core exercises tailored to your fitness level and unique needs can help you prevent hiking injuries like these.

9. Pay Attention to Small Discomforts and Address Them Early

One of the best ways to prevent yourself from getting an injury like plantar fasciitis, knee pain, hip pain, back pain, ankle pain, etc., is to address small, emerging aches quickly. This can be hard if you’re at the 2.5-mile point on a 5-mile hike. Take breaks, do some stretches, and don’t push yourself through the pain. That will only make things worse. Addressing small pains early is one of the most important factors in hiking injury prevention.

10. Focus on Posture and Form

Being aware of and practicing good posture on your hike, no matter what the terrain, is key to preventing injuries and giving you more energy and oxygen for your hike.

“A lot of times, I suggest that my patients pay particular attention to their posture and form when going uphill,” says Dr. Paula. “Walking uphill provides a better mechanical advantage to maintaining a neutral lumbar spine. Using breathing techniques that we teach in PT that allow one to try to stabilize while moving decreases the chance of overusing the lower back muscles, which is a common cause of soreness with walking and hiking.”

Healing after a Hiking Injury: Massage, Dry Needling, and More

If you are already dealing with discomfort after a hike, physical therapy can help you recover and get back out on the trail faster. In addition to addressing the specific injury, whether that’s heel pain from plantar fasciitis, back pain, or knee pain, we also look at your whole body and movement patterns to improve your posture and movement to prevent future hiking injuries. We can also help with therapeutic modalities like massage therapy and dry needling. Massage therapy can relax strained, tight muscles, reduce inflammation, accelerate healing, and improve range of motion. Dry needling is great for alleviating tight, painful muscle knots called trigger points, which can also improve circulation to sore muscles.

“Massage and dry needling can be great recovery tools for hikers,” says Dr. Paula. “They can also help keep the body agile and limber, so they are great tools during cross-training and your self-care routine.”

Get the Physical Therapy Hunterdon County Hikers Trust

“Hiking is challenging, and the beauty of it is that it is never the same,” says Dr. Paula. “You can choose different terrain, elevation, bouldering, and it really requires a lot of your body. That’s why physical therapy is so important before and after the hike.”

Whether you’re new to hiking, have been hiking for years, are recovering from pain, or training for the hike of a lifetime—now’s the time to schedule an appointment at A Life In Balance! We can help you move better, hike farther, and recover faster! Virtual physical therapy appointments are also now available if you need to call in from a remote hiking location! See you on the trail!

Prep for Pain-Free Hiking!

Hike Happy: How to Prevent Joint Pain and Hiking Injuries