Does mountain climbing hurt your knees?

Mountain climbing is a very common form of exercise, and it is actually also very classic. With the acceleration of urbanization of modern people, there is less and less time for exercise and the pressure is increasing day by day, so it is inevitable to take time to feel the nature and experience the fun of mountain climbing. So, some people say that mountain climbing can cause damage to the knees. Is this true? Is mountain climbing good or bad?

Does mountain climbing hurt your knees?

This question cannot be answered in a one-size-fits-all manner. Mountain climbing is a double-edged sword, which has both advantages and disadvantages for the knee joints. When climbing a mountain (or walking up stairs), the knee joints will be under certain pressure, especially when going down a mountain (or stairs), which will exert a greater impact on the knee joints. If the athlete's physical fitness and function are weak and the knee joint's tolerance is poor, and the amount of exercise exceeds the athlete's tolerance, it will cause certain damage to the knee joint. This is why some experts do not recommend that elderly people go hiking frequently. They are worried that ordinary people do not understand the principles of exercise and excessive exercise will lead to the opposite effect.

Does this mean that people with bad knee joints or diseases such as rheumatism cannot climb mountains? Actually, this is not the case. When climbing, it is particularly necessary to mobilize the muscles near the knee joints, which helps to strengthen the knee joints. From this perspective, mountain climbing can exercise and strengthen the knees, and people with knee degeneration and poor function need this sport more.

In short, climbing mountains correctly and in accordance with individual circumstances is beneficial to all people; blindly exercising without considering individual circumstances is likely to be counterproductive. Therefore, it is best to adopt an expert's guidance as to what kind of exercise to adopt and how much exercise to do, especially for people with rheumatism and arthritis.