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Avoid the Pain! Stretch before you Hike or Paddle

by: ALLEN MACARTNEY

Rating: ****

Stretching before doing any type of work out, will help improve your performance, reduce injuries, and reduces stiff and soreness afterwards.

This article explains how stretching before you go out paddling or hiking, will help you and your body. It then informs us of different stretches we can use and tells us how to perform them and for how long to do these stretches. These stretches include, Arm windmills, Hip stretch, Calf stretch, Upper arm muscle stretch and more.

This article would of been great to read before the Algonquin canoe trip, because at the end of the trip my muscles were pretty sore, and this would of helped me a lot. If I ever do go on another canoe trip, whether it be with Outdoor Ed, or with others, I will no doubt use some of these stretches. I also learned that it's not just before, but also after paddling, hiking etc. that you have to stretch to loosen up the muscles you were working.

In conclusion this article would be an amazing read for anyone, especially those who will be embarking on a trip in the near future.


Macartney, Allen,"Avoid Pain! Stretch before you Hike or Paddle", Ottawa Outdoors, Summer 2012 Edition, pg 28-29, Accessed October 20th 2012.

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