>>2291922Yes and no
It's true that constant abuse will destroy your knee cartilage, spine discs etc
But there are ways to mitigate this
>taking baby steps downhill, never jumping down>using trekking poles to take weight off your knees and navigate downhill with reduced impact>generally avoiding running (even unladen)>avoiding jerking movements, odd mechanical loading, twisting, putting your pack on in a lopsided motion, strain and sprains - pretty much anything from the stupid CrossFit games>never landing with your knees locked>walking with a mid/forefoot gentle stride instead of clomping>"kissing" the ground with your feet instead of clomping>wearing more flexible shoes that allow stabilising muscles to be used and shock to be transferred through the foot rather than localised in the knees>walking on softer ground>stretching, keeping good range of motion (there are theories that arthritis sets in due to shitty posture and unused range of motion such as in the hips of people with poor hip mobility and pelvic tilt)Basically walking like a nomadic Stone Age hunter gatherer human, not a third world coulee labourer or clomping infantry grunt being forced to do a deathmarch
Loaded walking is one of the healthiest activities, in my opinion. Cycling has the least shock absorption but gives your bodies all sorts of muscle imbalances with deleterious effects and works your heart and metabolism too hard, ageing you. Weighted walking gives your brain a workout, keeps your bones dense and strong, strengthens your core, gets you into fresh air and natural spaces, uses all your muscles, and keeps your cardiovascular system in the "green zone" (aka far less oxidative stress and cortisol than running). It is by far the Lindy-est activity and the one we are most likely adapted for millennia to - not weightlifting, nor niche functions like ballet/gymnastics, nor sprinting (something only done by humans in an emergency or for ritual games). We are bipedal long hunters.
