What stretch exercises do you do on a Camino?
I guess it depends on what you need to stretch
By that I mean, any specific issues you have.
As with all these things I would seek professional advice to meet your requirements.
I was advised by a podiatrist and a physio prior to starting, as well as other physios en route.
One Physio in Ponferrada actually took me into their mini gym to teach me stretches and heel dips.
As well as taught me how to strap my feet myself!
My specific issues before starting were.
Strained lower back muscles.
Achilles tendonitis in both feet.
In the last 200 kms I started to develop shin splints. that one really slowed me down ...... Damned painful.
So with all that in mind, my stretch routine was as follows.
Before getting out of bed, lie on back and arch upwards. Thrusting pelvis up.
A bit like pelvic floor exercises.
Turn on stomach and place hands shoulder height, push up, keeping pelvis on bed. Arching back like a cat.
Lie on back and rotate ankles back and forth to warm up tendons.
Get up. Shuffle about until tendons warmed up.
Lie flat on floor, do cat stretch again.
Face wall, hands on wall, one foot back. Do calf and achilles stretch.
That got me moving.
During the day I would often stop to do the 'cat' back stretches and achilles / calf stretches.
In fact the achilles stretches I would do almost every km walked and at all breaks.
At night, repeat the morning routine.
It only takes 3-4 minutes.
I never found anything to help with shin pain. Other than strapping, which only helped a bit.
I'll spend some time with my Physio getting advice on that before our next Camino.
Anyone else find something that helps?
Shin pain really got painful on steep descents.
Use poles (with lots of your weight on them).
And tread softly! I would almost tip toe down the steep sections or criss cross my way down them.
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