Training & Preparing your Feet for Hiking

Our feet were naturally designed to cope with uneven and rough surfaces. However, city streets have replaced the rougher terrains of old and have made our feet lazy. So it will take some time to get them adjusted for carrying the extra load of a heavy backpack across varying uneven terrains for extended periods of time. Here are some tips on training and preparing your feet for Hiking:

* First of all, you can train your feet by doing some simple exercises as explained in the section on Getting into Shape for Hiking. Regular Hiking and Walking Exercise will keep your feet prepared and trained for the activity.

# Walking barefoot whenever you can will help you develop leathery soles that give added protection.


# Rubbing your feet with Benzoin can be done to toughen up the skin on your toes, heels, and soles.


# If you have excess callus or corns then you will want to avoid those areas cracking and becoming very painful. Remove the excess callus with a skin vile. Use skin cream to keep the skin of your feet elastic and moist without removing the needed callus to pad your soles and heels.


# Athlete’s foot is caused by a foot fungus that can seriously damage the skin of your feet. Make sure to treat it well before heading out. Hiking Boots provide the perfect condition for the fungi to do more damage on your feet. Your doctor can provide you with an anti-fungi lotion that will take care of your problems in a few weeks.


# Check your toe nails for ingrown or sharp edges and trim them short before going Hiking.


# If you have parts of your feet that are known to develop Blisters quickly, you might want to cover them up with moleskin before even taking the first step. For more information, read our section on Blisters.

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