A Big Girl's Guide to Staying Active and Healthy on the Trail

I recently hosted a live Q&A session on Instagram about hiking in a bigger body. I’ll be addressing the questions I received on my blog over the next several weeks. Last time I talked about how to train for the uphill portion of a big hike when trails or hills are not accessible. This week’s question is about dealing with joint pain while training.

Q: "I'm frequently dealing with pain issues especially in my ankles when hiking, and doctors have told me it's because of my weight. Any advice on how to deal with this?" 

A: Well, first of all, I want to make sure that you understand that I am not a doctor or a physical therapist. I encourage you to seek a professional opinion, but I can tell you I have experienced the same thing. When you are carrying extra weight and seek medical help, it’s not at all unusual for the conversation to focus on your weight and what you can do to reduce it, rather than the original issue that brought you to their office. In fact, some people even avoid medical treatment to avoid being fat shamed.

I've had to find a team of people who believe in me and who think that what I'm doing is worthwhile. I have pretty severe arthritis in my knees. I had to find an orthopedic doctor who was able to see and treat me as an athlete first. His main objective is to make sure that I remain active, and he knows for me that means being a hiker. Whatever treatment that he prescribes, whatever physical therapy is recommended, it's with that in mind. It's not about having a conversation shaming me about my weight. It's really about treating my knee joints in a way that I can remain active. So, again, I'm not a doctor, but I would ask around and see about finding a team of professionals who know that you want to hike and are supportive of that goal.

The other thing you may want to consider if you have pain in your ankles is different boot options. Is there a quality local outdoors store near you? So much depends on the support you receive from the boots. Good traction and ankle support can be a game changer on the trail. In fact, one of my mantras on the trail is “trust myself, trust my boots.” 

So, find a reputable outdoor store and ask about getting a fitting. Find somebody who's a real boot nerd to help you find the right boot. They should love hiking as much as you do and want to see you get out there and get active.

It’s all about building that support network around you. It doesn't matter if we're talking about physical therapists, doctors, or the person selling you your next pair of boots. You want to find the people who believe in you and who truly want to make sure that you're heading in the right direction.

I’ll be answering more questions here over the next few weeks. If there’s something you would like to see me write about, let me know by shooting me an email.