Are you going hiking for several days? Recovery is as important as good preparation! After spending long hours walking the paths, the body may begin to show signs of fatigue. Recovery after exercise is important, especially if you have to set off again the next day. Recovering well after hiking cannot be improvised! So here are our top recovery tips.
1. Rehydrate and eat properly
It may seem obvious… but we often neglect post-hike nutrition!
As for food, it is better to focus on foods that will help us recharge our glycogen reserves just after the hike, such as starches .
The body loses a lot of water during the hike, so it is essential to rehydrate well after the effort (with water, not beer… we get along well!). Fluid intake helps drain and flush waste from the body – and therefore helps limit muscle pain after hiking.
Confused about what equipment to pack for a hike? Check out our post on this subject.
2. Stretch
Stretching after hiking will also help rid your muscles of toxins .
But they will also help prevent chronic injuries, such as tendonitis . As you stretch, you will return the muscle fibers to a resting position. They will no longer pull on the tendons, thus limiting the risk of inflammation.
Finally, stretching promotes physical relaxation, for better general recovery.
3. Use compression socks
Compression socks are to be worn for a few hours immediately after exercise (and not during exercise!).
By compressing parts of the foot and calf, they reduce muscle fatigue and promote the elimination of lactates.
They thus help recovery, by reducing the heavy legs effect and allowing a faster return to optimal performance.
4. The cool shower
Start the shower with hot water and gradually lower the temperature. Slowly.
Running cool water on your legs promotes recovery. Cold helps reduce swelling and breakdown of muscle tissue after strenuous exercise. So goodbye aches and pains!
5. Massages and treatments
Massaging your legs will help you recover well after hiking. Massage helps circulate blood to relax and relieve muscles.
The massages are very good after long efforts, and particularly in the case of hiking over several days.
You can combine leg massages with foot care, which is essential for prolonged comfort while hiking.
Feet a little sore while hiking? Read our footcare guide.
6. Sleep well
Sleeping well means giving yourself the necessary time to recharge your batteries, but also giving your body the opportunity to recover well!
Go to bed preferably before midnight. And if we go for a hike of several days, try to sleep for at least 7 hours, in order to give the body the rest time it needs.
Recovering after a hike is not an exact science and it is adaptable to each and the amount of effort put in. But recovering well after the hike will allow you to have less heavy legs, and to have less aches and pains the following days. You will also avoid some injuries, and be much less tired.
