Found a simple stretch that helped my knees on downhill hikes

I was hiking the John Muir Trail last spring, and my knees started to ache on the steep downhills. Another backpacker told me to try stretching my quads before each descent. I did it every day, and the pain went away. Now I do it on all my hikes, and it keeps my knees happy. Give it a try if you have similar issues.

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3 Comments

young.nathan6mo ago

Actually, focusing on your hamstrings can help just as much as quads for downhill knee pain. Tbh I learned that the hard way after a few rough trails.

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linda26mo ago

Isn't everyone overcomplicating this? I just walk it off when my knees act up.

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jamiew835mo ago

Heard tight hamstrings can mess with your knees too.

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