Prepare for Winter Sports Activities
- Created inNewsletter Library
When snow, ice and frigid weather blast into town, watch out, says theAmerican Chiropractic Association (ACA). Winter recreational activitiesand chores can pose problems for the outdoor enthusiast whose body is notin condition. Winter sports like skating, skiing and sledding can causepainful muscle spasms, strains or tears if you’re not in shape. Even shovelingsnow the wrong way, clambering awkwardly over snow banks, slipping on sidewalksand wearing the wrong kinds of clothing can all pose the potential forspasms, strains and sprains.
Simply walking outside in the freezing weather without layers of warmclothing can intensify older joint problems and cause a great deal of pain.As muscles and blood vessels contract to conserve the body’s heat, theblood supply to extremities is reduced. This lowers the functional capacityof many muscles, particularly among the physically unfit. Preparation foran outdoor winter activity, including conditioning the areas of the bodythat are most vulnerable, can help avoid injury and costly health carebills.
“Simply put, warming up is essential,” says Olympic speedskating goldand silver medallist Derek Parra. “In fact, when pressed for time, it’sbetter to shorten the length of your workout and keep a good warm-up thanto skip the warm-up and dive right into the workout. Skipping your warm-upis the best way to get hurt.” Parra, who took both the gold and silvermedals during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, adds that, “Youcan complete a good warm-up in 15-20 minutes. And believe me, it will makeyour workout more pleasant and safe.”
Derek Parra and the ACA suggest that you start with some light aerobicactivity (jogging, biking, fast walking) for about 7-10 minutes. Then followthese tips to help you fight back the winter weather:
- Skiing – do 10 to 15 squats. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart,knees aligned over your feet. Slowly lower your buttocks as you bendyour knees over your feet. Stand up straight again.
- Skating – do several lunges. Take a moderately advanced step with onefoot. Let your back knee come down to the floor while keeping your shouldersin position over your hips. Repeat the process with your other foot.
- Sledding/tobogganing – do knee-to-chest stretches to fight compressioninjuries caused by repetitive bouncing over the snow. Either sittingor lying on your back, pull your knees to your chest and hold for upto 30 seconds.
- Don’t forget cool-down stretching for all of these sports – At the bottomof the sledding hill, for instance, before trudging back up, do somemore knees-to-chest stretches, or repetitive squatting movements to restoreflexibility.
Shoveling snow can also wreak havoc on the musculoskeletal system. TheACA suggests the following tips for exercise of the snow shoveling variety:
- If you must shovel snow, be careful. Listen to weather forecasts so youcan rise early and have time to shovel before work.
- Layer clothing to keep your muscles warm and flexible.
- Shoveling can strain “de-conditioned” muscles between your shoulders,in your upper back, lower back, buttocks and legs. So, do some warm-upstretching before you grab that shovel.
- When you do shovel, push the snow straight ahead. Don’t try to throw it.Walk it to the snow bank. Avoid sudden twisting and turning motions.
- Bend your knees to lift when shoveling. Let the muscles of your legs andarms do the work, not your back.
- Take frequent rest breaks to take the strain off your muscles. A fatiguedbody asks for injury.
- Stop if you feel chest pain, or get really tired or have shortness ofbreath. You may need immediate professional help.
After any of these activities, if you are sore, apply an ice bag to theaffected area for 20 minutes, then take it off for a couple of hours. Repeata couple of times each day over the next day or two.
