Have you ever experienced it when you were hiking that your knees just killed you?

Shin splints?

Or that you kept losing your balance?

If you have, I’ve got a tip for you.

Step with your heel first

You may be scoffing at me right now: Why does it matter which part of my foot hits the ground first?!

But, here’s the deal. When we step heel first, this fires up our glutes and hamstrings—which are way stronger than our shins and knees—and they lift us up the mountain or carry us down the slope. It may feel funny at first, you may notice a little fire in the bum and thigh if they aren’t used to it, but I promise it’ll help in the long run.

Heel down also helps us keep our balance. In general, our heels are designed to support our body—there’s a pretty solid bone there—and our the front of our feet—lots of little bones—are there to helps guide us in different directions. When we step first with our heel that helps the whole body balance quicker, because there is a more solid foundation to support the rest of our body.

I also want to add in here quickly, when stood still, most of your weight should be supported by your heel. It’ll help your posture and your balance! Try it: Stand up, take a moment to breathe, notice where your weight is in the body. If most of your weight is in the toes, try shifting it back a bit onto the heels. You still want some weight in the front of your foot, but not the majority of it. How do you feel?

Over the last month and a bit, myself and my colleague, Rubén from Picos Outdoor, have taken groups up into the mountains on a two day, yoga and hiking retreat, sleeping in tents and under a full blanket of stars and meteor showers! It’s been amazing to be able to share with others two of my loves in life: yoga & hiking. Yogatrek Asturias in the HOUSE! (Or in the mountains? Hmm, nature?)

One thing that I keep noticing, however, is that the majority of people are stepping with their toes first and this either causes them to lose balance, or they are getting knee pain. When either myself or Rubén suggest to them to step with their heels down, which at first can be quite tricky as it’s breaking a habit formed over a lifetime, people notice the difference REALLY QUICKLY! Like, within a couple hours I’ve had many people tell me, ‘Wow, it’s amazing the difference stepping with your heel makes!’

One final quick note, when heading down hill, also keep your knees slightly bent, this will help relieve your lower back!

Here’s a little video I filmed to explain what I mean while hiking in the Peak District around Manchester, England just the other week when my husband and I went there to visit his family. (First time visiting them in almost two years!! It was amazing.)

So the next time you’re walking up a hill, or down, notice how you’re stepping. And then see if it makes a difference if you step heel first as opposed to toes first!

And let me know, do you notice a difference?

If you’re interested in joining Rubén and I on a Yogatrek adventure here in Asturias, we’d love to hear from you! This month of September, the first is this weekend and the next is the 26th and a few more in October! Send me a message in the contact form below or check out our instagram account for information!