Will begin my AT hike on March 1, 2005. I’ve always been a runner, but I’m still concerned with the o’l wheels (knees), even though I’ve never had a problem with them. What exercises can I do for all areas of the knee. i.e. front, rear, and sides, to prep for the hike.
thanx for your help
the great whazoo!
When it’s all said and done, backpacking is the only real way to be ready.
Squats and lots of stretching help, but nothing quite simulates the uneven ground and constantly irregular stepping on the trail.
But perhaps others have had good luck with pre-training exercises…
Tha Wookie
Stepping softly is important to me for preserving the integrity of your knees - if you can take just a moment longer when you go to plop your foot down and slow your leg down first, it will take an awful lot of pounding off the knees - when I get tired I begin to just drop my feet down, and I know it is time to either take a break, or stop for the night - walking without locking your knee out is kinda what I am saying I guess…
Scuba
I admit I had knee problems prior to my hike, but had been problem free for years…for 18 months prior, I walked to work carrying a 25 pound pack (flat and paved road), road a bike everywhere else, walked around with a 60 pound pack 1-2x a week for 10 miles, did lunges all over the campus at nights, leg work in gym, etc…130 miles into my hike, my right knee was done…surgery scheduled for October…
Maybe it was bad luck, an unforeseen injury, whatever… nonetheless, all that pre-training did little good…
Try to be in the best shape possible, if you cannot actaully get out and train on a similar type of trail…keep your pack weight as low as possible, and start out slow in the beginning to give yourself a chance to get your trail-legs…maybe try Glucosamine 3months prior to your hike, and throughout it as well…Scuba had the right idea as well, take breaks or just stop for the day when you have to…
Just remember, it is YOUR hike, enjoy every bit of it, whether a full thru-hike or a section…you will come to learn your own body and its abilities/limitations/strengths as time goes by on the trail…
-xtn :smokin
airferret
IMHO one of the best things that you can do for your knees is minimize your pack weight.
Marcia
In addition to the constant use, jarring steps wreak havoc on your bones, ligaments and tendons. As Scuba says, step softly. The Indians used to step toe-heel, whereas today we step heel-toe. If you can make yourself step toe-heel, you can reduce a lot of the impact pressure on your knee. Tried it - it’s not so easy to get used to! And you look kinda silly trying to learn!
Other than that, just keep in mind while you’re hiking that jarring your knees will eventually wear them down. I used to lock them when going downhill…I’d lock the knee at the bottom of every step, then rest for about half a second before taking the next step, so my muscles had a chance to relax for just a moment. Works great for the muscles, but putting that much stress on my knees? Probably not a good thing for a LDH! I still do it occasionally. Works great for uphills, though.
Also, hiking poles or staves takes pressure off your knees, and make you much more stable, which makes you less prone to a twisting/falling injury.
As far as exercise, you just have to accustom your body to walking on uneven surfaces…especially your ankles. And this is very difficult to do in a gym or at home. As TW says, squatting and stretching can help - you’ll build more strength and range of motion…so you tire less, which may cause you to put less stress on your joints. And even if it doesn’t, squats will certainly help you get up those big climbs and descents!
Other than form and good nutrition, stretching morning, evening, and at every break while you’re on the trail is probably the best way to reduce injury and soreness.
Speaking of stretching, Men’s Health had an article citing new research that says stretching before exercise DOESN’T reduce your chances of injury. Anti-conventional wisdom! Not sure I’m buying it yet. And even if it doesn’t reduce “injury” I know I still FEEL better before, during and after exercise if I stretch…especially on the trail.
Jeff
Jeff
I agree with the advice above, especially the pack-lightning suggestion. At it’s heaviest, with winter gear, four days food and water, mine weighed 34 pounds and lighter would have been welcome.
I’d also met a thru-hiker who did serious squats, and felt that’s why he’d had no knee pain. He did have muscular knees.
Nonetheless, there are sections that are just plain tough on the knees - North Georgia and TN/NC, for one, and the Whites and Maine for another. Long, steep descents are where the stress sets in, especially when the quadriceps (thigh tops) and other leg muscles tire and fail to do their part in holding the patella/kneecap in it’s shallow groove. So, the misalignment starts, cartilage gets ground off, and ligaments strain.
I was VERY prone to IT-band syndrome, and during test hikes I was usually hobbling under pack by Day Three. I wasn’t sure how I was going to thru-hike. I knew I couldn’t live on a lot of ibuprofen for six or seven months.
I tried every knee brace I could get my hands on, and only one helped me. BUT - it REALLY helped me. I used them on both a Long-Trail thru-hike and an AT thru-hike.
On the AT, I’d wear them in the mornings to warm up my knee joint, and take them off on the big climbs. I velcroed them to the handy shoulder strap of my pack, so it was very little work to whip 'em on my knees before a descent. By Virginia, my knees had strengthened to the point that I sent one on ahead to Hanover with my winter gear, to await the Whites. I kept the other with me “just in case,” but eventually sent that ahead too.
I did notice I’d acquired a new muscle on the inside of my knees, one I’d never seen before. If you know an exercise expert, that’s probably one you could target for strengthening amid an over-all fitness program. Ha! Funny thing, eight months after my thru, I’m having a little trouble locating that little sucker…
The brand of brace that did the trick for me was Cho-Pat, and I used their simple single band on the Long Trail, which eliminated alot of the pain (maybe 60 percent). For the AT, I used two full “Dual-Action” Cho-Pat braces, and I needed them. They helped alot. They have too bands, one on top of the patella, and one below, and cradle your poor battered knees like a mother’s hand. No matter what you do, though, you’ll feel your knees in the Whites. These braces just let me keep going instead of curling up atop on a high, stony descent, wimpering in misery and self-pity. Ha!
No, I don’t work for Cho-Pat, but I do trumpet when something lets me hike, makes that much of a difference. Google in “Cho-Pat Dual Action” and see what turns up. About $30. Cheaper than a doctor. Lots of places on the web sell them.
Or, try the cheaper ($12) single band, which you can sometimes find in the foot section of the pharmacy in Wal-Mart. You are wise to be concerned with your knees, especially on the steep-ish AT and/or the Long Trail.
LiteShoe
Jan LiteShoe
P.S, And, March 1 is a GREAT start date!!! Good luck!
LiteShoe,
AT '03,
Pack 3/1 - yeah!
Jan LiteShoe
Hey Jan!
Oh sorry I am supposed to be writing about knee pain. I agree with Wookie. If you prehike, your legs will adjust. My recomendation would be to hike as much as possible and that when you get to GA, to be sure to take it easy. Hike with the flow of the mountain. Allow the mountain to tell your body what it can do.
I had tons of fatige from my little section hike this year. At times my knees were bound up as a result of lactic acid that was binding up my leg muscles. I threw my pack down and sat on it to releave myself of the struggle. And I am still a capable hiker who never had any injuries. If you do have injuries, stop, recoupe, recover, and hike again another day!
Burn
I have knee problems that I keep in check with trips to the gym 2x/week for strength training. I do lots for the quads esp., and stretches for the IT band and whole leg. Not much for the knee per se – but working the muscles all around it and keeping the ligaments stretched & flexible. Strong quads esp. will hold the kneecap in place & make it track properly. Biking is also good for this.
Many are things I learned in physical therapy. There is lots you can do (standard Nautilaus machines like leg raises & presses) – research the literature, or consult with an MPT, also email me if you want suggestions.
I think others are right re. keeping packweight low and to warn against careening downhill. Trekking poles may help too. I usu. don’t like em but will keep them handy for downhills – I go slow and really pick my way on downhills.
All that said, I agree that there is little you can do to prepare for the total body self-abuse of backpacking, except the act itself. But that doesn’t mean I think the strength training is futile, far from it. Sort of like building insurance for a particular joint.
K. Glo
This subject came up some time last year, too, and a physical trainer/therapist wrote in with this answer (which I saved to use for my own training!)
"It is really important to strengthenthe muscles that support the knees. Before you begin, be sure that you have no pre existing injury that would require rest and perhaps medical attention. One of the fundamental lower body excercises is the squat (as mentioned above). This is a great exercise because it allows all of your muscles to work together.
Either hold dumbbells in your hand for weight, use a Smith Press, or a Free Standing Squat Rack. Be sure to tighten you abdominals before you begin to keep your torso erect. Slowly lower your weight down. As you lower reach the hips and rear end back as though you are trying to sit down on a chair behind. This is important because you want to kepp your knees directly over your ankles. You do not want your knees or body weight to come forward as that it will put too much pressure on the knees.
Pause briefly, then straighten the legs as you stand up. Do not lock your knees at the top of the motion. Repeat. 3 sets of 8 reps. Start relatively light if you have not done this before, then add weight so 8 reps is challenging. "
FYI!
Angie
One exercise that seemed to help me was leg extensions. Instead of using both legs in the exercise, work one at a time. Also, you should work the inside of the knees by turning your foot outward while doing the extensions. When exercising your right leg turn your foot to the right, which will force you to twist your knee to the right as well, working the inside of the knee. Do the same for the left with your foot turned to the left. Do lots of reps with a light weight.
As far as hiking, I’ve also slowed down on the downhills and concentrate on not jarring the knee’s when stepping down. If all else fails get a good knee brace or two if you know you are prone to knee injury. Here’s the brace I use when I had knee problems:
http://www.flaorthopedics.com/srchproducts/kneesupportsbraces/hingedkneebrace.htm
Nooga