600 m steep uphill stroll

[corvus]

Strollers have just " done" Mt Tyndal ( I decided forgo the last 65 m) however the 600 m sharp climb (and decent) is the toughest I have ever done and as a 66 year old fart I am having difficulty getting my muscles to agree to respond normally (bloomin sore) ,do any of you have a secret cure for this
corvus

[tigercat]

Hot bath with Epsom salts and a good bottle of red!

[ofuros]

A Thai massage session will stretch all those aging muscles & some you never knew you had.
A monthly booking works wonders for me.

.....via tapatalk.

[Nuts]

What would the staff sergeant say?
Go for an easy walk with some slight hill, quick! It will warm and loosen the very same muscles. Rob De Castella would recover from a marathon by... running.. every day, day in and out... just saying

[wayno]

yup bit of light exercise , and some not to strenuous stretches afterwards

[corvus]

[quote="ofuros"]A Thai massage session will stretch all those aging muscles & some you never knew you had.
A monthly booking works wonders for me.



Don't think Mrs corvus would approve of me getting a Thai massage
corvus

[ofuros]

Sounds oh-so-naughty but its not.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_massage
Splash out & book her a session at the same time as you.

via the information highway.......

[Stibb]

Thai massage is not at all naughty but I couldn't belive the pain

[davidmorr]

I have always found that the cure for sore muscles is to do it again the next day, and the next, and the next. Each day the pain gets less and your fitness improves. (iirc, the soreness is due to a buildup of lactic acid in the muscle tissue - don't know the exact process, but something breaks down leaving the lactic acid. The way to get rid of it is to work the muscle so it moves on and is excreted.)

I've just climbed to Carey's Peak today (Barrington Tops), 900m of up followed by 900m of down. I'm anticipating being a bit sore tomorrow, and very sore on Tuesday if I don't do some walking, especially uphill, tomorrow and Tuesday.

And just as a postscript, the way you walk may make a difference. Is is calves or thighs that are sore? If it is only one, then you may be overusing that part of your legs and underusing the other part. Balanced use of thighs and calves may reduce the stress that is causing the pain.

[corvus]

Both thighs and calves.

[north-north-west]

Strollers have just " done" Mt Tyndal ( I decided forgo the last 65 m) however the 600 m sharp climb (and decent) is the toughest I have ever done and as a 66 year old fart I am having difficulty getting my muscles to agree to respond normally (bloomin sore) ,do any of you have a secret cure for this

If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore.

[Hallu]

If you're 66 years old and your knees and hips are fine, consider yourself lucky. Soreness in the muscles is easily treatable, with massages, baths, etc...

[davidmorr]

Both thighs and calves.

Maybe you just need to be fitter - more practice, less sitting in front of the computer

[Davo1]

Hi Corvus,
For what it's worth, and I am not quite as (for want of a better word) experienced as yourself, the best investment I ever made was in a good quality cross trainer.
I find it wonderful for those follow up sessions.
In fact I find it extremely useful for those in between periods as well.
You see, I have what someone mentioned "dicky knees and so so hips" so my variable daily activity on the cross trainer helps maintain a level of fitness without the body stress associated with normal walking/jogging etc.
Some may not recommend a cross trainer for your issues, all I can say is, "it works for me, I'm still walking". Might be a different story in five or ten years time but at the moment I'm sticking with it.
Again, I find I find it very useful for exactly what you describe as long as I have the motivation to use it.
Good luck.
Davo1

[ofuros]

A quick trip back in time in Dr Who's tardis will fix corvus's dicky legs.
If only we could.......

via the information highway.......

[corvus]

Both thighs and calves.

Maybe you just need to be fitter - more practice, less sitting in front of the computer

You are indeed correct however owing to a Heart Procedure and Cataract replacements, other than my 30 min walk every day I only managed a wee Stroll into Lees Paddocks in Aug 2012 so I was really unfit but willing ,lesson learned
corvus

[skibug]

Hey Corvus,

The current thinking re treatment of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is icing (or at least cold packs), and non-weight-bearing light resistance exercise. Ever wonder why tv interviews with football players the day after a match show the teammates wading at the beach in waist deep water, even in mid-winter? They're doing a "recovery session", the cold water cooling the leg muscles and the buoyancy of the water reducing the weight bearing load on the legs. It's now standard for tennis pros and cricketers to have an ice bath at the end of the day/match - often in combination with light pedalling on an exercise bike (again, non weight bearing).

Massage is probably fine, be careful with stretching when still sore - some of that soreness is due to micro-lesions within muscle tissue, and if not careful you can increase the tearing - and so your recovery time - particularly for someone with a reasonable collection of birthday candles. Ibuprofen and paracetemol probably help, alcohol probably not.

The most important thing is to keep bushwalking, challenge yourself without breaking yourself, and keep it fun. All the best,

Skibug

[corvus]

G'day Skibug,
Thank you for that information,it is my intention "to wear out not rust out" so I will keep on bushwalking till I need a Zimmer Frame
corvus

[basecampfit]

Hi Guys,

I train people professionally for trekking and hiking and have a great deal of experience in the outdoors and in the health and fitness industry.

Here is what I suggest and why.

Preparation:
a) warm up properly before your hike with 10 minutes of dynamic stretching (an absolute must)
b) stay adequately hydrated, this means not just water but replacing essential salts. see my website for a natural electrolyte drink that's tasty!
c) Stretch only tight muscles and strengthen weaker muscles, consider utilising a foam (physio) roller to facilitate quicker recovery.

Technique:
a) take pressure off your muscles in incline by shortening the rides, staying upright and fully extending each knee on each uphill stride (places more pressure on skeletal systems rather than muscle)
b) "activate your quads" on the decline by sitting your butt down low, bending the knees into an almost sitting position, striking your heel first and point your toe out.

Recovery
a) Again, stay very well hydrated, refuel and rest. remember our muscles get stronger when at rest, not by continuous training without propper rest (this will only fatigue you more and decrease your performance)
b) Relax in a bath with something like Radox, does the muscles a world of good.

Like many things in life, hiking is a science.

Check out my website for more training tips. www.basecampfit.com

Yours in Adventure,

Chase Tucker
Director/ Head Trainer

[davidmorr]

Preparation:
a) warm up properly before your hike with 10 minutes of dynamic stretching (an absolute must)

Last I heard from a friend who is a qualified personal trainer, the stretching idea had been abandoned. Instead, what was recommended was 10 minutes of a gentle version of the exercise you were going to do.

The idea was to warm up the muscles you were going to actually use, rather than a general warmup of the body. So in the case of walking uphill, this would be walking gently on the flat or a slight slope.

Now this was about 5 years ago. Have things turned back to stretching again?

b) stay adequately hydrated, this means not just water but replacing essential salts. see my website for a natural electrolyte drink that's tasty!

A very underrated recommendation as people skimp on water to reduce weight. I read once that when you get dehydrated, it is not just your mouth that gets dry. What also dries up is the synovial fluid in your joints. Without this fluid, there is more wear and tear on the joint. No wonder people have crook knees.

Technique:
a) take pressure off your muscles in incline by shortening the rides, staying upright and fully extending each knee on each uphill stride (places more pressure on skeletal systems rather than muscle)

Another good recommendation. Avoids over-reliance on thigh muscles.

[basecampfit]

Thanks David,

Yep absolutely correct about the stretching. You definitely want to avoid your traditional Static stretching. Dynamic Stretching would include some lunging, jumping, swing kicking sideways and forwards. I think i might whack up a quick example video on my website because this is quite a common question.

Regards,

Chase - BCAF

[matagi]

Both thighs and calves.

Maybe you just need to be fitter - more practice, less sitting in front of the computer

You are indeed correct however owing to a Heart Procedure and Cataract replacements, other than my 30 min walk every day I only managed a wee Stroll into Lees Paddocks in Aug 2012 so I was really unfit but willing ,lesson learned
corvus

Although now that you have had your procedure you should be able to do much more than you could beforehand, thanks to the improved blood flow to your heart.

[corvus]

Interesting comments and advice thank you , on this stroll I consumed 600ml of Staminade and had a nice flat walk before the start of the grind I also consumed 750ml of water during the climb .
Perhaps I am just getting old as at 174cm x 70kg I cannot blame excess weight and as to the style of walking the terrain determined what sort of strides I took both up hill and down
corvus

[Tortoise]

hey there corvus. Just a thought: maybe the Strollers were strolling a little faster up that steep climb than your ideal pace at this point? I find it makes a huge difference if i try to keep up with someone else's pace. My 75 - 83 yr old friends still manage significant climbs and 6 day walks, without aches and pains, so don't sell yourself too short. I don't reckon they'd keep up with the Strollers' pace though...

Cheers

[north-north-west]

Y'know corby, you ask too much of yourself.
In thirteen years time if I'm still able to carry a full pack up the Tyndalls and back I'll be so *&%$#! grateful just to be alive and out there that a bit of stiffness and soreness would be at the bottom of my list of things to talk about.

[davidmorr]

I have an 80+ friend who goes on 5-6 day backpacks. He's rarely the last person to get anywhere. But after each trip, he has to have a couple of weeks before he can face another.