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Is Hiking Good for the Sole? Benefits and Risks of Hiking Long Treks
Q; Hiking all of those miles cant be good for your feet, is it really worth it?
A; Absolutely worth it, despite the risk of injury, with proper care and preventative maintenance you will hike home a stronger person (physically and mentally).
Red River Gorge and the beautiful Lindsay P.
Getting off the couch or getting out of the office and hiking 2000+ miles can be rough, not only on your feet but your body overall. Lets be honest there are some dangers. Overuse injuries and traumatic injuries are a big risk out on the trail and happen often. Overuse injuries such as Patellofemoral syndrome, achilles tendonitis and blisters can be prevented by taking frequent rests, kick off the shoes and elevating your feet or soaking them in a cold creek when recovering, as well as tending to hot spot or pains while hiking!!
when your blisters have blisters…
- for newbies-> Avoiding blisters is more than just buying the right shoes. Common causes of blisters are friction coupled with heat and moisture and sand\dirt particles, address feet pain immediately and tend “hotspot” ASAP.
- Proper nutrition plays a huge roll in injury prevention!! Make sure your body has the fuel it needs to repair muscle and other tissues by eating well on the trail.
But lets get the rewarding part of Hiking!
No not exactly lol
Hiking a long trek will do work magic on your legs!! Your Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Glute’s will be trophies when hiking up the last elevation in Maine. Muscle toning accompanied with weight loss in your legs as well as core (mainly from weight stabilizing while moving with your pack) will be seen quickly. The Pads of your feet will toughen up (helps prevent blisters, great to do before you start your trek), your ankles are strengthened, increased lean muscle mass in your calves\quads\hams ect.. As well as the obvious ones, lowered chances of Heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and more!
All in all hiking has its dangers but with proper education and care wont only be fine, but stronger and more resistant to injury.
So it can definitely be good for the sole!
Happy hiking
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