Going out in nature and leaving the tensions behind is the most relaxing thing. Hiking helps a lot if you are stressed out and want to enjoy nature with a sprinkle of exercise for the muscles. It is an activity that involves all of the lower body muscles, and you sweat while enjoying the greenery and mountains.
But, if you’re experiencing heel pain, then hiking is no picnic!. Heel pain or plantar fasciitis is common while hiking and many hikers experience it during their venture. So, how to go hiking with plantar fasciitis. Sadly, if you are experiencing heel pain, you must discontinue any hiking, running, or walking activity.
First, let’s talk about the symptoms of heel pain:
Symptoms Of Heel Pain
- Inflammation or pain in the heel area.
- Sharp pain when placing the foot down from bed the next morning.
- Difficulty in walking for long hours.
- Can’t stand for more than 20 minutes.
These symptoms can be because you are either a beginner hiker, runner, a walker, or an overweight person and decided to increase mileage suddenly. It can also occur if you are exercising barefoot, then you might experience heel pain.
Reasons For Heel Pain
- It is caused by the stress or tension in the foot tissue called the plantar fascia.
- Mostly happens because of being overweight.
- If you are new to exercises, then heel pain may occur.
- If you have tight calf muscles, excess hiking or running may cause heel pain.
If you have gotten it for the first time, you may assume that your heel got broken because of so much stress on it. Or maybe your hiking boots are stiffer, which causes the foot to overreact. The latter can be true, but heel pain isn’t that sharp compared to broken foot pain.
It starts with a subtle tingling pain in the heel. When you wake up the next morning or stand up trying to walk after an hour of sitting, you will experience a sharp pain in the heels or feet.
So, now you know that you suffer from plantar fasciitis; what now? Generally, this happens when your muscles are too tight, and you cannot adapt to sudden exercise changes like hiking. Hiking is a rigorous exercise, so you must first warm up the muscles and go for short walks rather than climbing straight up to the hiking terrain.
Precautions To Avoid Heel Pain
Certain precautions can protect you from heel pain. Hiking with plantar fasciitis is not recommended by medical professionals, so it is good that you take the necessary steps before getting this condition:
Check The Boot Type
Hiking boots must be a perfect fit for your feet. The boots should neither be too sluggish nor too tight that your feet can’t breathe. If you have flat feet, then take professional help and sort out the best boots for your condition before jumping to the hiking trail.
If you are just casually walking or standing in the mall or somewhere, try to switch to lower heel boots with cushions. It will help in preventing heel pain.
Assess The Hiking Terrain Type
See if the hiking terrain is long or short. If you are going for not-so-long hikes, then the lightweight cushioned hiking boots are best. If you are going for a long hour hiking terrain, then the heavy-duty hiking boots will prevent the heel pain caused by stress.
Don’t Hike With Plantar Fasciitis
If you experience heel pain while on the terrain or before that, then you must not go for a hike. It may sound offensive, but you don’t want to lie down in your apartment alone after the hike for a week or even more. Ointments and medications may help temporarily, but they are not the 100% cure.
Use A Trekking Pole
Trekking poles can provide sufficient support while on the hiking terrain. It means that you can shift your weight slightly to it and get going so that the heel or feet remain under less stress while you go on the hike. If you are a beginner at hiking, try going for small walks and hiking on smooth short terrains rather than the rocky and long ones.
Don’t Carry An Extra Heavy Backpack
To avoid putting the heels under so much stress, try not to take a heavy backpack with you on the hike. You may be feeling in high spirits now, but after a while, hiking doesn’t seem that easy.
While hiking the long hour terrains, you must be light on weight so that the feet feel relaxed ad you can prevent heel pain and don’t have to do hiking with plantar fasciitis.
Exercises That Can Help
- Try doing the stretches, especially for the calf area. It is so because the tight calf muscles are the main reason for the plantar fasciitis.
- Try indulging in light cardio exercises like lunges and mountain climbers with the boots on so that your muscles get trained and get used to the stress.
- Never do the exercises barefoot as it will increase the muscle tension causing the heel pain.
- Go for the short walks and increase the pace or laps slowly rather than walking straight 4 miles.
- Find the good shoes that are extra cushioned so that when you jump or do exercises, the weight is supported by the shoes, and muscles or feet feel less pressure.
Final Thoughts
Heel pain or plantar fasciitis is painful. It is common for the pro hikers who hike for hours and even get runner’s feet. The symptoms include sharp pain in the heel and mid-foot area, and you cannot seem to walk straight for a week. When diagnosed with heel pain, immediately drop the hiking or any exercise regime. Allow body muscles to release stress and get away from extra pain.
Also, train the muscles with some cardio and strength training exercises, especially the calves muscles and the legs, so that they are strong enough to bear your weight and the extra weight of your backpack. With backpacks, we would suggest not to go for the heavy bags because ultimately, your body has to suffer.
Try to find the perfect cushioned shoes and go for short hikes initially. Don’t force yourself if you feel exhausted after hiking for, let’s say, a mile or two. You will build pace slowly.
Also, if you are an overweight person, try to lose weight and see the heel pain going away.