Stretches before, during, and after hiking are very beneficial. Without properly stretching before hiking you can injure yourself. Stretching our legs before hiking keeps them limber and injury free. There are many good ways to stretch, yoga in particular has been recommended by many hikers. However, certain stretches should be avoided due to their ability to degrade certain muscles that are used in hiking. For instance, the lotus position stretches out the muscles in the knees, weakening them. The calf, ankle, foot, and toes. Regular stretching during hikes helps prevent injury during the hike. Water also helps keep the muscles limber, so bring plenty of water.

Calf Stretch

Lean against a tall vertical solid object(such as tree trunk) and place your feet approximately a yard from the object. Place one leg in front of the other and use the front leg to lock out the back knee. This will help the leg relax, making a good stretch possible. Keep your feet flat on the ground and lean in towards the tree trunk(or other object) while bending only one knee. This will stretch the calf and ankle. You should be able to feel the stretch, if it begins to burn, desist immediately. When you feel a proper stretch has been attained, switch legs. After properly stretching both legs, dangle them alternatively to let the blood flow into your newly stretched muscles. You should dangle each leg approximately 15 seconds.

Toe and Ankle Stretch

From the same position as the calf stretch mentioned above, allow the back foot to roll forward onto the toes. This will stretch out the toes on the back foot. Perform this procedure for both feet. A simple ankle stretch that is easily performable in almost any situation is to raise the foot and rotate it in a circular motion. You can also move the foot in many different ways to get different types of stretches(such as raising and lowering the toes).