Another glorious hiking season approaches. A time of beautiful trails, mountaintop views, and knees that go crunch. The Northeast’s punishing terrain—up, down, rocks, ouch, repeat—takes its toll on your knees, those most crucial hiking joints. Over time, soreness, stiffness, sprains, and other injuries become increasingly common. Knees are at great risk during the start of hiking season, when crucial stabilizing muscles have gone soft in the wan light of winter. So be aware, and prepare. 

THE BIG PICTURE  Multiple leg muscles are involved in stabilizing and supporting the knee, primarily the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and hip abductors (outer thigh) and adductors (inner thigh). They are key elements of the greater knee system, which includes the ligaments, tendons, and cartilage in and around the joint itself. “Ligaments are static stabilizers; muscles are more like dynamic stabilizers,” explains Darryl Elliott, an orthopedic specialist with Bay State Physical Therapy in Weymouth, Mass. “They turn on and off depending on the needs of the joint.” If weak muscles fail to meet those needs, the knee is subjected to more pain-inducing, injury-creating stress. 

DON'T STRESS  With each thudding step, impact forces travel upward from your feet and through your legs. “Knees will take the brunt of this force,” Elliott notes, “but if you can dissipate these ground forces and take them in through the rest of your body, the stress gets less focused. The goal is [to] not let the stresses go to one joint—usually it comes down to addressing other weaknesses in the body.” Flabby leg muscles are often a prime culprit. To make the biggest difference, focus on two of the most important: quads and hamstrings. 

SUPER QUADS  Your quadriceps are crucial for knee support and stability. They straighten the joint, help your kneecap track appropriately, and provide major shock absorption on downhill descents. One of the easiest quad-strengthening exercises, the straight leg raise (pictured above), can be done on your living room floor. Lie on your back and bend the knee of one leg to a 90-degree position with your foot flat on the ground.

LEARN MORE
Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness: Functional Exercise and Nutrition for Every Body, 2nd edition. Mark Pierce and David Musnick, Mountaineers Books.

Keep the other leg straight and slowly raise it 6-12 inches off the floor. Hold for 5-10 seconds, slowly lower, and repeat 10 times. Build up to three sets. As your quads strengthen, add a one-pound ankle weight; increase in 1-pound increments up to 5 pounds.

HAM AND LEGS  Hamstrings bend your knees and are used to push against objects with your leg. Along with your quads, they provide critical knee support. Extend your training session by rolling over, lying flat on the floor, and keeping both legs straight. As with the quad exercise above, raise one leg 6-12 inches off the ground, hold for 5-10 seconds, slowly lower, and repeat 10 times; build to three sets and add ankle weights as needed. Keep in mind that your hamstrings work in tandem with your quads. Overstrengthening one can create an injury-provoking muscle imbalance; exercise them both equally. 

IT'S A START  Building leg strength will help support the knee and prevent injury, but realize that it’s only one way to reduce knee stress. Consider the following: Trekking poles can lower knee impact forces by as much as 25 percent on downhill grades. A lighter backpack (or lighter, leaner you) reduces knee-crunching weight. Quality footwear and insoles with good cushioning absorb shock before it hits the knee. Build up gradually to this summer’s big hiking adventures. Train by taking shorter, easier hikes and slowly increasing the length and difficulty. Don’t just charge for the summit on the first beautiful day of the season. “Heading out without training?” Elliott laughs. “That’s how people end up in our offices.”