Descending is much harder on the body than climbing, especially on the leg muscles. There is also an inherent instability and the tendency to lose control, some of the reasons accidents on the descent are very frequent.

Heaven would be attaining a summit or other objective by walking or climbing and then accomplishing the descent with a friendly helicopter.

Well depends on your goal. Enough to have health benefits or well if you plan to do the olympics...

Also visit a fysio or other specialist if you have injuries. It's not always overworked. Very commen injuries/pains are caused by bad technique or not compensating for muscle growth (there are usually multiple muscle compensating each other, with lots of sports, there is a big difference between which side is trained. You will need to do seperate training to compensate for it).



Not just muscle also on the joints. I carry hiking polesif I have to descend longer distances. Strangely enough I don't have issues running down, but do if I'm packed and go slow.

My knees agree completely with your comments about joints!

Runners knees take a pounding. Look at knee geometry and you'll see that locking the knee takes it past center, lots of stress on a joint when you do that and runners do it all the time.

I started doing more leg exercises with weights (leg presses, squats, leg curls) and rather than damaging/tearing down my legs, weight training has made walking and even the occasional run much easier. More muscle is there to absorb the stress rather than putting it onto the knee joint.

Long time back one of the other lifters gave me a clue about how to not cause damage to your knees -- do not allow them to lock out. Don't fully straighten your knees when lifting so the weight stays on the muscle rather than being shifted onto bone. You can do that when walking downhill also; It's a great leg exercise, will strengthen muscle and reduce the damage to your knees.

FWIW

Yep, I learned that again the hard way at Carlsbad caverns a few years ago. By the time I got to the bottom, I could barely stand to walk around the paved path. The cold damp environment didn't help either. It took me a couple days to straighten back out.

I'm a bit of an over exerciser. I recently injured my labrum doing elevated bench flys with two 40lb.s barbells. Stupid and unnecessary at age 66. But I've been an addicted walker for decades. I recently met a 70 year old retired physician. We were introduced by a mutual friend who knew we'd go well together as , "crazy old walkers".

Now I'm a decent walker, but old Doc has me panting. I walk with him from his home on the NJ side of the George Washington Bridge ( some good size hills in that portion), across to Manhattan, descend ~ 350' to the Hudson River coast path. South from 181st to 145th Street, to the top, ~50' ( 5 sets of stairs) to Riverbank Park, once around the Park and back to point of beginning, just about 11 miles.

Our best time is 3 hours flat. But we average between 3:15-3:30hr.s. The ascent/ descent from bridge to river is ~1/8 mi., STEEP, Doc is about 6'2". I'm 5'7" ( early in the morning, before my back compresses). His stride is so long that I have to shorten mine and take about 3 strides to match 2 of his. On a hot day, it's a b****! Nap time and a quart or two of water thereafter . But, all in all, not bad for two " crazy old walkers".

That's some hardcore walking, especially across the GW!

I know that walk & that is a serious one - with some nice views. How often are you doing that?

Doc, as I said, is retired. He does the big walk two to three times a week, weather allowing , with at least a rest day in-between. He doesn't do any other regular exercise routine. I still work full time. Before my recent injury, I was doing a barbell, Pilates, push-up, elliptical (35 min., up/ down hill ,2.75 mi.) gym workout, 1.5 -2 hr.s each, two or three times a week, schedule allowing. If I do the big walk, it is only on a weekend and it substitutes for my second or third workout. I forgot to mention that we do take 1 or 2, ~ 3 min. water/bathroom breaks.

There is a real element of danger in this walk. No, it's not from criminals or cars. It's from some, not all, of the bicyclists. Those ride two abreast or try to pass each other on the narrow, two-way walkway. Ugh! If only the Port Authority would open up the North walkway, at least on weekends and holidays. But, "yes" , on a clear day, the views, both North and South, are spectacular!


For me the toughest part of the walk is the 1/8mi., 350' ascent, especially on a hot day. We don't slow too much on that leg. At the top, I'm panting hard and my hips are screaming. I often take a crooknecked cane or a walking stick . It is good for relieving some of footfall impact ( back problems) and especially on hills and stairs. The forward " plant" of the stick and arm muscles, help in climbing. I'd probably take it slow for 5 min. after the ascent. But Doc is like the Ever Ready Bunny. I feel compelled to reach down down and carry-on. Doc was a surgeon and I do a lot of negotiations and appeallate court argument. So it's two old Type "A"s, competing with and complimenting each other.

Excellent points. I'm not training for the Olympics. Hiking is just a passion not my job. It's my primary way to keep fit. I am training for a big trail hike in a couple of years, but an injury immediately impacts the rest of my life. I already have a hard time unbending from getting down on the floor with my three year old and now getting down there hurts. Not the result I was after. LOL!



GREAT advice! Physiotherapy - at least a professional assessment and then home exercise routine - can make a huge difference in your recovery. In my case, I have a muscular imbalance and I'm messing up my body mechanics to compensate, which is causing further injury. UGH! The biggest aggregator? Too many hills wearing a pack and/or pushing a stroller.

Separate leg and core exercises - and rest - are helping. Taking time off sucks, but it's short-term pain for long-term gain. I hope.



AGREED!!



And for us Northerners: Ice and snow underfoot will also mess up your body mechanics, and put undue stress on your knees. Hiking poles and microspikes can really help.