When I start a hike, my hands and arms are free and easy. Towards the end I always find them clutching the straps of my backpack. Why?
Edit, for clarity: I always use a waist strap. I’m not talking about using my arms to lift weight off my shoulders. I seem to end up holding my shoulder straps, elbows pointed downwards, almost pulling the backpack downwards onto my shoulders and tighter against my back.
In: 310
Most people out there hike with incorrectly tied backpacks. The pack is supposed to be tightly secured on the hips and only lightly resting on your shoulders. 80% of the weight is meant to be lifted by your legs. People will instead rest a heavy backpack entirely on the shoulders, which causes stress on your torso/spine and hunches your body. Over the course of a long hike your shoulders and back are going to get wrecked.
As to why it is easier to hold the straps up, you are temporarily moving the strain from the muscles in the shoulders and back to your arms. This gives some immediate relief, but isn’t going to last.
Most people out there hike with incorrectly tied backpacks. The pack is supposed to be tightly secured on the hips and only lightly resting on your shoulders. 80% of the weight is meant to be lifted by your legs. People will instead rest a heavy backpack entirely on the shoulders, which causes stress on your torso/spine and hunches your body. Over the course of a long hike your shoulders and back are going to get wrecked.
As to why it is easier to hold the straps up, you are temporarily moving the strain from the muscles in the shoulders and back to your arms. This gives some immediate relief, but isn’t going to last.
Try “cactus arms” for a short distance when your upper back feels like it’s starting to wear out/hunch over.
Stretch your arms out to a T, then point your hands to the sky so your elbows make an L while holding your head high.
It looks pretty silly, but you’ll straighten your spine/flex your traps so it’ll feel like less pressure on your shoulders.
And definitely use a hip belt.
Try “cactus arms” for a short distance when your upper back feels like it’s starting to wear out/hunch over.
Stretch your arms out to a T, then point your hands to the sky so your elbows make an L while holding your head high.
It looks pretty silly, but you’ll straighten your spine/flex your traps so it’ll feel like less pressure on your shoulders.
And definitely use a hip belt.
Try “cactus arms” for a short distance when your upper back feels like it’s starting to wear out/hunch over.
Stretch your arms out to a T, then point your hands to the sky so your elbows make an L while holding your head high.
It looks pretty silly, but you’ll straighten your spine/flex your traps so it’ll feel like less pressure on your shoulders.
And definitely use a hip belt.
Especially when going uphill, I find myself holding my straps as a subconscious way to improve breathing; it’s a variant of the “tripoding” position. Here’s a wikipedia excerpt, [] added by me:
“The tripod position or orthopneic position is a physical stance often assumed by people experiencing respiratory distress (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or who are simply out of breath (such as a person who has just run a sprint [or fatigued from hiking a long time]. In tripod position, one sits or stands leaning forward and supporting the upper body with hands on the knees or on another surface [such as on your hips or holding on to your backpack straps].…..It has been thought that the tripod position optimizes the mechanics of respiration by taking advantage of the accessory muscles of the neck and upper chest to get more air into the lungs. With the position of the arms secure, contraction of the pectoralis results in elevation of the anterior wall of the chest.” (Wikipedia, “Tripod position”)
Especially when going uphill, I find myself holding my straps as a subconscious way to improve breathing; it’s a variant of the “tripoding” position. Here’s a wikipedia excerpt, [] added by me:
“The tripod position or orthopneic position is a physical stance often assumed by people experiencing respiratory distress (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or who are simply out of breath (such as a person who has just run a sprint [or fatigued from hiking a long time]. In tripod position, one sits or stands leaning forward and supporting the upper body with hands on the knees or on another surface [such as on your hips or holding on to your backpack straps].…..It has been thought that the tripod position optimizes the mechanics of respiration by taking advantage of the accessory muscles of the neck and upper chest to get more air into the lungs. With the position of the arms secure, contraction of the pectoralis results in elevation of the anterior wall of the chest.” (Wikipedia, “Tripod position”)
Especially when going uphill, I find myself holding my straps as a subconscious way to improve breathing; it’s a variant of the “tripoding” position. Here’s a wikipedia excerpt, [] added by me:
“The tripod position or orthopneic position is a physical stance often assumed by people experiencing respiratory distress (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or who are simply out of breath (such as a person who has just run a sprint [or fatigued from hiking a long time]. In tripod position, one sits or stands leaning forward and supporting the upper body with hands on the knees or on another surface [such as on your hips or holding on to your backpack straps].…..It has been thought that the tripod position optimizes the mechanics of respiration by taking advantage of the accessory muscles of the neck and upper chest to get more air into the lungs. With the position of the arms secure, contraction of the pectoralis results in elevation of the anterior wall of the chest.” (Wikipedia, “Tripod position”)
The straps support your arms, so they can rest a little. Also a change of body position, even a small one, can be relaxing too. Raising your arms to grip your shoulder straps slightly changes the positions or your arms, shoulders, and back.
The straps support your arms, so they can rest a little. Also a change of body position, even a small one, can be relaxing too. Raising your arms to grip your shoulder straps slightly changes the positions or your arms, shoulders, and back.
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