Be Smart With Winter Sports
Jan 21st, 2010 by admin
Winter Sports
Enjoy winter fun? Then follow these tips to help you fight back the winter weather injuries:
Derek Parra (Olympic speedskater gold and silver medalist) and the American Chiropractic Association suggest that you start with some light aerobic activity (jogging, biking, fast walking) for about 7-10 minutes. And then:
Skiing - do 10 to 15 squats. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, knees aligned over your feet. Slowly lower your buttocks as you bend your knees over your feet. Stand up straight again.
Skating - do lunges. Take a moderately advanced step with one foot. Let your back knee come down to the floor while keeping your shoulders in position over your hips. Repeat the process with your other foot.
Sledding/tobogganing - do knee-to-chest stretches to fight compression injuries caused by repetitive bouncing over the snow. Either sitting or lying on your back, pull your knees to your chest and hold for up to 30 seconds.
Don’t forget cool-down stretching for all of these sports - At the bottom of the sledding hill, for instance, before trudging back up, do some more
knees-to-chest stretches, or repetitive squatting movements to restore flexibility.
See you on the slopes,
Dr. Phil Kotzan, DC