Hiking good for spinal health

By Kim Hyoung-Bok

Spring has finally arrived, and many people are planning a picnic to the countryside or a hike to enjoy the beautiful weather.

Hiking is a cardiac exercise, and it can also strengthen abdominal muscles and straighten the spine.

Hiking is also known to be effective in preventing various adult diseases and osteoporosis.

Also, hiking accelerates blood circulation to the nerve endings, so it is effective for patients who suffer from chronic spinal diseases.

Spring hiking: what will it do to our spine?

For people who have severe spine symptoms, hiking should be avoided, as it can worsen them. When hiking, our spine naturally bends backwards, ultimately putting pressure on spinal nerves.

In addition, people who do not have much experience or do not exercise regularly often face sudden muscle or joint pain due to excessive hiking. As hiking also often involves walking on an uneven road, some can sprain their ankle or have a spinal injury when falling.

Thus, much attention is required when hiking.

Tips to prevent a spinal injury before hiking

Hiking wear should be made of materials that can absorb sweat quickly and allow ventilation.

To adequately control the body temperature, it is recommended to wear several layers of light clothes of a slightly larger size so layering will be possible.

People who suffer from back pain should pay much attention to the backpack, the weight of which should be about 10 percent of total body weight.

When hiking, it is recommended to place heavier items on top, so that the weight will be placed on the shoulders, easing the pressure on the spine.

When climbing down the mountain, the heavier items should be placed close to the back, and the upper body should lean forward to place the weight of the backpack in the center of the body.

This will decrease fatigue of the spine and make it easier to balance.

Furthermore, the contents of the backpack should be distributed evenly so that the backpack will be balanced left to right.

If the items are shifted and tilted to one side, then the pressure on the spinal disc will be concentrated on one side, worsening back pain.

If the hiker has a weak spine, then using hiking sticks will help.

The sticks will disperse the weight and decrease the pressure on the spine.

In addition, they can lessen the impact on the feet while walking.

Different walking methods when climbing up and down to prevent injuries

Hikers should walk differently when climbing up and down to decrease the burden on the spine and prevent injury.

When climbing upwards, the sole of the foot should contact the ground completely to secure stability, and the knee should be straightened out while maintaining narrow strides.

When climbing down a mountain, the sole should touch the ground lightly, and knees should be bent to absorb the impact.

The heels should touch the ground first.

Many think that climbing up is less safe, but climbing down is the time where most injuries occur.

This is due to the hikers’ greater physical fatigue, and the correspondingly greater pressure on the spine and joints.

The impact on the spine can be as great as nine to 10 times the hiker’s body weight.

Thus, when climbing down a steep hill, it is recommended to walk diagonally rather than straight down, as it reduces the tilt angle and thus reduces the impact on the spine.

The writer is the spine specialist at Bumin Hospital Seoul in Gangseo District.