Around three weeks ago, I was approaching the final stretch of the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain.
The route took me through 100km of varying terrain, including country roads, riverbanks, woodland, and vineyards with stony, uneven pathways. Although the route was not especially strenuous, there were no rest days for about a week, and so before beginning the trip, I was mindful of doing everything I could to stay fresh and limber from start to finish. Any small discomfort or complaint - if neglected - could easily have become something that affected my enjoyment of the trip, and the primary goal was to enjoy myself.
While I never planned to book a massage after each day of hiking (although this would have been very helpful!), I did put into practice a few things I had learned over the years, to help my body recover.
Three massage-adjacent tips for happy hiking.
Warm up your joints
This one sounds obvious, but sometimes the tried and tested ones are the most useful. Limbering up, and activating the synovial fluid that lubricates the joints, especially around the ankles, hips, and knees is a really good idea at the start of the day, before stepping out onto the trail. You’ll be doing thousands of repetitive actions over the course of the day and your ankles will be constantly making tiny adjustments over a range of potentially uneven terrain. Just ten minutes of warming up and basic mobility exercises can make a big difference for your hiking recovery.
Roll a tennis ball under the soles of your feet
This is a neat trick that can be an effective, lightweight recovery tool for hikers. Walking around all day with a backpack full of water, snacks, rain gear and whatever else you may be travelling with can put extra pressure on your plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue supporting the arch of your foot. Over several days, this can result in heel pain and tightness which, in turn, can affect your calves, hamstrings, and lower back. Rolling a tennis ball under your sole acts as a form of self-administered myofascial release that targets the strains specific to hiking long distances, and only takes up a tennis ball’s amount of space in your pack.
Release tension in your neck and shoulders
Similarly, at some point you might find that your shoulders and neck start to feel the strain of carrying a pack around for hours at a time. At the end of the day, and also during breaks, a few gentle shoulder movements and neck mobility exercises will help to release tension and reset your posture before continuing with the hike, or settling down to rest in the evening. Keep the movement smooth and controlled, rather than forcing a stretch. To release tension in your neck, relax your shoulders, and slowly roll your head down towards your chest, then lift it back up again. You can also gently roll the shoulders backwards and forwards to achieve something similar for these areas. These techniques are not only for hiking - they also have major benefits for those who spend a lot of time working at a computer or behind a desk.
In addition to these three things, I also took great care to cover the basics: staying hydrated, eating properly, and making sure I got a good night’s sleep. It was an amazing trip, great to meet some many other walkers on the path and I loved seeing the changing scenery. If you have the chance - do it!
