Five cross training exercises to prevent injuries this hiking and backpacking season
Summer in Washington is in full swing, and if your movement of choice in the warmer weather is hiking, this post is for you!
At Upward, we work with a lot of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, and here are some of the things we incorporate into our patients’ cross training routines. One common theme you’ll see is specificity, and this applies to whatever activity you enjoy! Whether hiking, running, skiing, training to keep up with your kids, etc., your cross training should incorporate mobility and strength training that you’ll need for the activities you are training for (and yes, the activities you’re training for can be day to day things–navigating stairs, lifting up your kids, etc.).
But as a post specific to hiking, here are 5 things (in no particular order) specific to hiking and backpacking to help keep you injury-free and feeling good on the trails this summer, and beyond.
Single leg strength:
Building strength and stability on one leg can help you conquer elevation with confidence. One way we love to incorporate this is through various forms of step ups–this can be stair height, or progressing up to box step ups. Bonus points for training in multiple planes of motion!
While we are working to move forward in space, our bodies are working hard to control movements in side-to-side and rotational planes, as well. This is especially pertinent on the trails when we’re dealing with uneven surfaces and step ups/downs at various angles.
Weight:
While body weight strength training is a great place to start, and a great way to incorporate strength training anywhere, we want to be able to train for the weight of our packs. Whether that’s a 5-10 lb day pack, 30+ lb pack for overnight journeys and backpacking, or carrying your kids, training for the additional load can help build strength and endurance of our muscles and joints for the trail.
While dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells are great options, if you don’t have accessible weights, you can also use household objects, like a jug of laundry detergent, or even your actual hiking pack and supplies. Not every exercise has to be weighted, and weight doesn’t have to match the anticipated weight of your pack.
We recommend incremental increase in weight, loading enough to build fatigue, but not so much that you notice discomfort or compensations in form. As you get stronger, and the exercise at the same load becomes easier, incrementally increase the load; this concept of progressive overload is key for building strength!
Single leg balance:
This is key for navigating uneven surfaces, river crossings, slowly lowering on one leg during descent, etc. Single leg balance will also help to stabilize your ankles to minimize risk of sprains in those rocky/uneven areas. To further train specificity, we recommend incorporating dynamic single leg balance exercises (vs. static single leg holds), as well as adding in unstable surfaces to train dynamic stability required to navigate uneven terrain.
While balance pads, BOSU balls, and other specialized balance equipment are often utilized in the clinic, you can also use a pillow, folded up towel, etc. to create a less stable surface for balance training at home.
Core and upper body:
While it’s easy to see the direct application of lower body strength training as applicable to hiking, core and upper body strength is also important for lifting and carrying our packs, scrambling, mountaineering, etc. Core strength is also pivotal for good balance, including single leg balance and control, which we need in abundance on the trails.
Consider sprinkling in planks, push ups, or even incorporating upper body strength training with lower body exercises, such as squat into overhead press.
Ankle mobility:
We need a certain amount of motion at our ankles for normalized movement mechanics; while 10 degrees of ankle dorsiflexion (think lifting foot/toes to nose) is required for normalized walking, we like to see closer to 15+ degrees for normalized squatting, running, and hiking mechanics. With hiking, think about the angle of the foot relative to the shin as we navigate incline, or the same angle as we lower ourselves down on one leg during descent.
If we don’t have this mobility at our ankles, our body will seek it elsewhere, including up the chain at the knees for instance. This is why working on ankle mobility can be helpful in addressing knee pain with descent. While some of us have this ankle mobility in spades, others may be a bit stiffer in this area, requiring more blocked practice. This is why we saved this for last–because not everyone needs to prioritize this based on their available mobility at baseline.
This is one of the many areas we check with our hikers in order to help prevent injury. If you’re not sure if your ankles are stiff, but you feel a lot of stretch/strain into your achilles with hiking, or feel your heels rise off the ground with a squat, this is likely an area to check in on! Ankle mobility can involve stretching the calves to allow more of that dorsiflexion motion, as well as ankle mobility drills to address stiffness in the ankle joint itself.
Looking to get started but not sure where to start? Check out our instagram (@upwardptseattle) for more exercise ideas, or request an appointment to get a personalized training program based on your mobility, strength, and goals!
Happy hiking!