Several factors can cause the hands to swell when hiking, but the most common causes are gravity and how the body distributes heat during exercise. As the core muscles heat up when hiking, the vascular system cools the body by releasing more fluid to our fingers, hands, and feet. When blood reaches the skin to dissipate the heat, fluids leak out of the vessels, causing swelling of the limbs. Medically known as exercise-induced peripheral edema, the problem is not serious and will disappear soon after you stop hiking. On a […]
Anatomy
5 posts
After exerting all that energy to carry the weight of your food on your back, the last thing you want to do is to lose valuable calories by eating carelessly. Chewing your food thoroughly is one of the most important and overlooked things you can do to improve calorie and nutrient absorption from trail foods. How to Maximize Calorie Absorption Digestion starts in the mouth before it can happen in the stomach and intestines. Chewing your food not only breaks the food down into smaller pieces so it can be […]
Backpacking involves a long and steady aerobic workout with fitness benefits that rival other more intense, higher impact activities. Although backpacking is a non-competitive recreational activity with a low chance of burn-out, the constant climbing and descending can lead to cramping and injury. Besides the overuse of the muscles, leg cramping is exacerbated by inadequate eccentric contraction strength, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance from sweating, and insufficient carbohydrate intake. Common Causes of Leg Cramps When Hiking When you are backpacking, the muscles in your leg contract while in motion and stretch out […]
Estimating distance is a crucial skill in various scenarios such as daily life, hiking, and survival situations. It helps you maintain your sense of direction, calculate distance and height, and estimate travel time while hiking relative to your pace. Did you know you can estimate distance using only your finger? Estimating distance using only your finger is based on this known fact about human anatomy: Your arm is about ten times longer than the distance between your eyes. Here’s how you can use this information to estimate distance: Imagine you’re […]
Knee problems are common because they are one of the most used and abused joints in the human body. If you frequently experience knee pain during descents or resulting soreness afterward, chances are you need to improve your form or pack weight. Excess weight adds more strain to the knees Your knees and hips are vulnerable to injury because they bear the most weight of your body. A force of three to six times your body weight is exerted on your knee with each level step you take. So, if […]