Sedentary Execs Need to Get in Shape for Hiking and Backpacking
Special To Houston Business Journal, by Dr. Jack E. Jensen, Athletic Orthopedics & Knee Center
For many Houstonians, including business executives, backpacking and hiking are favorite pastimes.
Hiking is a great way to enjoy the outdoors while getting in a lot of exercise, but to prevent injury, it is especially important for those who may spend most of their time behind a desk to properly prepare themselves before they hit the trail.
Before packing a knapsack and heading for Big Bend or Enchanted Rock, hiking enthusiasts should follow several simple suggestions to make their outdoor adventures more enjoyable:
Develop a regular exercise schedule. The hiker can start with any activity — swimming, biking, walking, whatever interests him the most — but it must be consistent and a priority. He will be successful if he develops a program he is comfortable with and sticks to it on a consistent basis.
Load up the backpack. Those who are in good physical shape may be ready to tackle day hikes over easy to moderate terrain. To prepare for a long hike, however, a person can put on a pack loaded with five more pounds than he would normally carry and walk for a couple of miles to see how it feels. He should plan a short hike to see how he handles a trail with a pack on, then gradually take on more difficult hikes to keep challenging himself as well as increasing his endurance and conditioning.
Go for a bike ride. Biking is a great way to prepare for hiking, especially in an area like Houston, where there are few hills on which to train. Biking focuses on strengthening quadricep muscles, which are important in hiking. Adjusting the gears and resistance on the bike will help increase the rider's strength and endurance.
Stretch. Stretching reduces muscle tension and allows better, more flexible movement. The hiker should be sure to stretch his lower back, legs, torso and neck. Stretching is necessary and will help prevent soreness and injury — both on and off the trail.
Take care to prevent pack-lifting injuries. Jerking a 40-pound (or more) pack off the ground and swinging it onto his back is a fast way for a backpacker injure his back. One safe way for a backpacker to lift a pack is to place the pack on the ground with the shoulder harness facing him, grab the shoulder straps and, with straight to slightly bent back and slightly bent knees, put his knee into the back padding of the pack and pull the pack up his leg to the upper thigh. With his leg under the pack for support, he can slide his arms one at a time through the shoulder harness.
Start preparing for backpacking several weeks before the trip. The backpacker should anticipate how much weight he will be carrying and prepare a pack that weighs 10 pounds more than that and use it as a training pack. In addition to a normal exercise routine, he should carry the training pack four to five nights a week up to a couple of days before the trip. It's important to wear hiking boots when training, too. This helps him get used to the way they feel and the weight they add.
Anticipate the level of difficulty. Regardless of the hiker's physical condition, he will put himself and his fellow hikers at risk if he waits until the trip and thinks he can get in shape on the trail. If a person begins a lengthy, difficult hike without being adequately prepared he could find himself unable to finish the trip or, more seriously, with a painful injury.
The great thing about hiking and backpacking is that it is not a competition or a race. You can control your pace and pause to enjoy the views as you please. Hiking also offers a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and is a great way to get your heart, lungs and muscles into shape while taking in the sights.
DR. JACK JENSEN, FACSM, founder of Athletic Orthopedics & Knee Center, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. He also is an Association of Tennis Professionals Tournament doctor.
