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Crystal Cove State Park, CA
Summer is here! Time to get your hiking pack out of the closet, dust it off, and get reconnected to nature. But before you hit the trails—and especially if you are new to the activity or only hike occasionally—be aware of the stress that hiking places on your knees.  

Knee pain often starts when a person’s quadriceps muscles—those large muscles on the front of the thigh—aren’t strong enough to handle an increase in activity.  Weak quadriceps can lead to damage under the kneecap, a meniscus injury, or stress and strain to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).  At the same time, the back of the thigh—the hamstring muscles—may also be tight from too much sitting at the office and not enough stretching.

You can stay active with hiking and still keep injury and muscle tightness at bay with therapeutic massage and bodywork.  Massage and bodywork will lengthen tight muscles, thus allowing increased range of muscle motion and extended flexibility.  When the flexibility of the body is restored, injury is minimized and hikers experience better performance and can simply enjoy their day hike that much more.

Make sure to get massage and bodywork both before and after a strenuous hike. It’s not just good for injury prevention—it’s necessary for a healthy body, mind and spirit.

My favorite hiking area is Crystal Cove State Park off the Pacific Coast Highway in Southern California. What’s yours?     

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