If you’re an avid hiker but have started to feel that your body can’t handle your hikes like you used to, it might be time to start thinking about how you may need to adjust your hiking routines to help keep you safe now that you’re getting older. This way, you can continue to hike as often as you want until the point that you find yourself moving into a senior living facility.
To help you see how this can be done, here are three safety tips as you continue hiking into your twilight years.
Start Using Trekking Poles
As many people get older, they start to lose a bit of their balance. But when you’re hiking, especially if you’re going to hike in potentially dangerous mountains with cliffs, you’ll want to make sure that you’re able to keep yourself safely upright and on your feet.
One way that you can accomplish this is by taking advantage of trekking poles. With trekking poles, you can have an additional place to bear your weight and help you balance when you’re walking or hiking on uneven terrain. This extra support and stability can be just what you need to stay on your feet regardless of how many rocks or roots you might be hiking over.
Know How To Keep Yourself Properly Hydrated
Proper hydration is vital when hiking. Without it, you could find yourself stranded on a hiking trail without access to safe drinking water and no way to get yourself back home. Additionally, if you don’t keep your electrolyte levels well balanced when hiking, you could also become light-headed, which could result in you becoming woozy and feeling low on energy.
To keep this from happening to you, you’ll want to make sure that you’re hydrating with electrolytes mixed in with your water. This will help you to stay properly hydrated even when you’re sweating during your hike.
Only Go Out In Good Weather
When you were younger, you might have found some joy in hiking in the rain or the snow. But now that you’re older and need to take some extra precautions to ensure that you’re safe when on hiking trails, you’ll want to be sure that you only go out when you are expecting good weather.
If the weather takes a turn for the worse when you’re out on a hike, you might find that you have a harder time keeping your footing, maintaining your body temperature, and making it back to your vehicle so that you can safely get back home. So if you’re expecting any shifts in the weather on a given day, it’s going to be best not to go out until the weather is a bit more predictable.
If you’re committed to keeping hiking regardless of your age, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you stay safe as you keep hiking in retirement and beyond.
Troy is a Freelance writer, editor, and author who lives, works, and plays in Boise, Idaho where he hikes, cycles, skis, and basically enjoys the outdoor lifestyle of the Northwest. Troy writes about business, sports, GIS, Education, and more. He is most passionate about writing suspense thrillers, and his work can be found at https://www.amazon.com/Troy-Lambert/e/B005LL1QEC/
