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skiier

Pre-Season Conditioning for Winter Athletes

/30 August 2024/ All MFN blog/

As a sports medicine physician, my job requires me to evaluate and treat injuries. What I am passionate about, however, is injury prevention and sport maximization! So, for those of you who don’t want to be “sidelined” for the ski season… read on and start training smarter!

Tens of thousands of skiers and snowboarders enjoy snow sports every year, however few prepare for the physical demands that these sports place on the body. Different sports use different muscles in different ways – if your muscles are prepared they will perform and injuries will be reduced. If you have been exercising all year and are merely switching into your “ski/snowboard” mentality, you should anticipate that you will need about 6 weeks for the body to adapt to the new activity and/or exercise before it’s ready to take on the challenges of the mountain. If, however, you have not been exercising, you will need a directed exercise program focused on the specific muscles required for at least 8 to 12 weeks prior to your first day on the slopes!

Depending on how aggressive a winter sport athlete you are, and how old you are, you should start with an assessment of where you’re starting from. I recommend having a baseline functional movement screening (FMS) done by a licensed physical therapist or certified strength and conditioning coach.  This type of assessment can help to find your weaknesses and asymmetries to allow you to tailor your strength program to them.  By doing this, you can minimize injuries and maximize your performance on the slopes! Starting your strength program early will allow you to enjoy the season to it’s fullest!

Warming up and stretching before hitting the slopes is another consideration. There are many schools of thought about warming up, however it is generally accepted that warming up muscles that will be used for a specific activity is a good way to avoid injuries such as muscle tears. A good warm up routine to use is to perform the activity you’ll be doing at about 1/3 to 1/2 the speed or intensity for 5 to 10 minutes.  For example, start on an easy hill even if you’re an intermediate or advanced skier/snowboarder, remind yourself to keep form, look up, move your legs, engage your CORE, etc. Skipping the warmup can result in painful muscle tears that may take as long as 8 to 12 weeks to heal. 

Stretching (Pre- and Post-Workout): Stretching your muscles after your warmup increases your flexibility and may help to prevent injuries. Additionally, if you incorporate a cool down into your workout you will increase your overall “fitness” and improve your cardiovascular health. Just 5 minutes of a brisk walk after your main workout can improve your cardiac tone and overall fitness. Believe it or not, the research shows that a cool down is MORE important than a warm up for fitness!

So, the secret to enjoying the slopes is easy… assess early, customize your strength training, and once the snow flies, start your warm up and stretching program on the hill.  Happy winter!

Learn More: Specialized Education for Fit Pros

MedFit Classroom’s Sports Medicine Fitness Specialist online course is designed to provide fitness professionals with a thorough understanding of common sports injuries and recovery post-medical/surgical intervention with considerations in training, pre and post rehabilitation, nutrition and in some cases medication to support recovery in this population.

Advance your education and specialize with this 10-hour online course!

Naomi L. Albertson M.D. is Board Certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians and specializes in the non-surgical management of musculoskeletal problems, sports injuries, concussions, and the treatment of osteopenia and osteoporosis. 

foam-rolling

Foam Rolling: The What, Why & How

/11 January 2023/ All MFN blog/

We are not as active as we once were. Our lifestyles today do not require as much movement as it once did. A perfect example of this is Giant’s Peapod (need I say anymore).  Not being active takes a toil on our bodies and sitting tends to take over our bodies main position in space. For those that are active, injuries may still occur. When a person is not active and does a lot of sitting (or sleeping in awkward positions) or when a person is active and gets injured, our bodies respond by putting our muscle tissues into overdrive. In other words, they end up working harder than they should which leads to adhesions or knots in the fascia (connective tissue found throughout our entire body). This is where foam rolling can be very helpful.

What is Foam Rolling?

Foam rolling is the concept of applying pressure to a sore or tender muscle that will send a signal to your brain to tell it to relax. If you are familiar with a massage, then, you can think of foam rolling as a self-massage.

Why Foam Rolling?

According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), foam rolling is beneficial to help alleviate and correct discomfort.  For example, if a person does a lot of sitting, then most likely their hip muscles will be working overtime. Foam rolling will help the hip muscles to return to a normal state of work.  Also, since overworking muscles cause your body to compensate and have poor posture, foam rolling can help to correct bad posture too.

How Do You Foam Roll?

In order to determine what muscles on your body are working overtime, you want to consult with a corrective exercise specialist. This could be a physical therapist, personal trainer or massage therapist (to name a few). They can watch your posture and how you move to determine which muscles need foam rolling. Typical muscles that need foam rolling include one’s: calves, hips, lateral to mid-back, thighs and chest. For example, if one determines their calf muscle is working overtime, the protocol would be to sit down on their butt with the foam roller placed directly underneath their calf muscles.  The person would apply pressure by pushing their calf muscle only into the foam roller. If they feel any discomfort, they would hold that spot of discomfort for at least 30 seconds to allow the calf to relax.  If a person does foam rolling on a regular basis (I recommend 3-5 times/week for four weeks), they could accomplish significant improvement to their posture, which means less discomfort to their body.

Conclusion

Foam rolling is a proven technique that allows overactive muscles throughout our bodies to return to a state of normalcy. If you have muscles on your body that do not feel normal, foam rolling may be the solution to your problem.

Maurice D. Williams is an Assistant Professor of Health & Human Performance at Freed-Hardeman University, an the owner of Move Well Fitness. With almost two decades in the industry, he’s worked with a wide range of clients, including those with health challenges like diabetes, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, coronary artery disease, lower back pain, pulmonary issues, and pregnancy.

woman-walking-trail

Watch Your Step

/22 June 2022/ All MFN blog/

Because I’m a lifelong advocate of fitness walking and injury-free walking, I’m always trying to come up with the simplest way to get walkers to move along the ground in a way that produces the least amount of impact to the feet, knees, hips and lower back. The answer to this dilemma is different depending on whether you’re walking or running. I’ll begin with you walkers.

Women-with-Kettlebells-Fitness

Studies Show COVID-19 Has Led To More Injuries

/26 January 2022/ All MFN blog/

The coronavirus pandemic has had a major effect on all areas of people’s lives, and physical activity levels are no exception. Recent studies show that the pandemic and associated lockdowns prompted many people to go one of two ways with regard to their exercise program. They either decided to work out more in an attempt to get in the best shape of their lives, or chose to spend lockdowns sitting at the computer, watching TV and/or enjoying long phases of inactivity. Both of these choices, while seemingly unrelated, have led to an increased number of people experiencing musculoskeletal injuries.1,2,3

What is Causing the Increase in Injuries?

The COVID-19 situation prevented most people from utilizing in-person fitness and exercise services. Consequently, those individuals who decided to increase their physical activity levels often did so without the supervision of a qualified fitness or exercise professional. In addition to engaging in exercise endeavors unsupervised, research found that they tended to work out longer and harder than would have been appropriate, and tried more extreme forms of exercise. This has resulted in many of these people experiencing musculoskeletal overuse injuries.1

Alternatively, individuals who stopped exercising during the pandemic and instead spent more time watching TV, playing computer games, and generally sitting for longer periods of time became deconditioned. Once lockdowns and COVID-19 restrictions began to ease up, these people experienced musculoskeletal injuries as they tried to return to their pre-pandemic exercise levels in a deconditioned state. 1,2

Guiding Clients Back from Pain and Injury

Corrective exercise specialists and fitness professionals well-versed in corrective exercise methodologies are uniquely positioned to help people overcome pain, injuries and musculoskeletal issues that have arisen as a result of over- or under-exercising during the pandemic.

Helping Over-Exercisers

Clients who sustained overuse injuries in their pandemic pursuit of ultimate fitness will benefit most from incorporating activities into their exercise regime that actively promote rest, recovery and rejuvenation. Coach these people to take days off from strenuous activity to instead perform self-myofascial release and gentle stretching exercises appropriate for their musculoskeletal issue or condition. Areas of the body that were overly-strained, stressed and/or injured during high levels and intensities of exercise should now be prioritized with these corrective exercise techniques.4

Helping Under-Exercisers

A deconditioned client trying to resume their pre-pandemic physical activity levels without adequate reintroduction will benefit from the application of gradual progression. Coach them about the need to address musculoskeletal changes that have occurred as a result of prolonged static postures like sitting, and the importance of slowly reintroducing exercise stress to help safeguard their body from the pain and injury that can result if they overdo it upon returning to the gym.4

As the availability of in-person exercise and fitness services begins to resume, corrective exercise specialists are in a unique position to assist people that have sustained musculoskeletal injuries as a result of too much or too little exercise. Whether helping clients get over pain and injuries incurred during the pandemic, or reintroducing exercise safely to those who are unfit and out of shape as a result of long periods of inactivity, expertise in the area of corrective exercise is now more important than ever.

Justin Price is one of the world’s foremost experts in musculoskeletal assessment and corrective exercise and creator of The BioMechanics Method Corrective Exercise Specialist certification (TBMM-CES).  The BioMechanics Method is the fitness industry’s highest-rated CES credential with trained professionals in over 70 countries. Justin is also the author of several books including The BioMechanics Method for Corrective Exercise academic textbook, a former IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, and a subject matter expert for The American Council on Exercise, Human Kinetics, TRX, BOSU, MFN, Arthritis Today, BBC, Discovery Health, Los Angeles Times, Men’s Health, MSNBC, New York Times, Newsweek, Time, Wall Street Journal, WebMD and Tennis Magazine.

 

References

  1. Clarence Valley Independent. Nov 7, 2021. Increased exercise leads to unexpected injuries during lockdown. Retrieved from clarencevalleynews.com.au on Nov. 8, 2021.
  2. Moses, S, and Robins, M. August 2, 2021. The COVID connection: Youth sports injuries on the rise. WKYC studios. Retrieved from WKYC.com on Nov. 8, 2021.
  3. Seshadri, D., Thom, M., Harlow, E., Drummond, C. and Voss, J. Case Report: Return to sport following the COVID-19 lockdown and its impact on injury rates in the German Soccer League. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, Feb 18, 2021.
  4. Price, J. and Bratcher, M.  2019. The BioMechanics Method Corrective Exercise Specialist Education Program (2nd ed). San Diego, CA: The BioMechanics Press.

 

Young woman having knee pain

Women Are More Susceptible To ACL Injuries: 5 Essential Exercises To Minimize The Risk

/7 October 2021/ All MFN blog/

Women have different biomechanics due to a slightly wider pelvis, which means their knees buckle more easily when landing from a jump. Women have looser joints, which is a risk factor for knee problems, and muscular, strength and hormonal issues also play a part.

The ACL provides the knee joint with stability and rotational control during movement. When an ACL tear happens, hearing or feeling a ‘pop’ at the time of injury is common. This is followed by localized swelling at the knee joint.

An ACL injury can occur in several ways:

  • Rapid change of direction
  • Sudden stop
  • Sudden deceleration while running
  • Landing incorrectly after a jump
  • Hyperextension of the knee
  • Direct contact or collision while playing a sport

If you experience any sharp or sudden pain at the knee, especially during sports or from a fall, follow the First Aid RICE protocol immediately — Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate — and seek medical attention immediately.

There isn’t much you can do once the injury happens, but there are ways to minimize the chance of it happening in the first place. Prevention is better than cure so focus on strengthening the kinetic chain and muscles around the knee. If you do lots of sport with plyometric movements, ensure your technique and form is correct, and include agility drills for neuromuscular control.

Here are 5 essential exercises to help stabilize and strengthen your knees, hips and glutes, which in turn will help prevent an ACL injury.

Single Leg Deadlift

Ensure that your knee doesn’t buckle and aim to keep your hips level. Keep your spine neutral and braced throughout the entire movement while maintaining balance.

Elevated Hip Raise

This exercise targets the hamstrings and calves. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the range of movements.

Walking Leg Lunges with Torso Rotation

Maintain an upright torso with your hips squared. If you feel a sharp pain in your knee at any time during this exercise, stop and seek advice from a qualified trainer.

Lateral Squats

Begin by placing your feet wide apart, then shift your weight from left to right while placing most of your body weight on the heels of your feet. If you feel a sharp pain in your knee at any time during this exercise, stop and seek advice from a qualified trainer.

 

Reprinted with permission from www.purelyb.com

Ke Wynn Lee is an author and an international award-winning corrective exercise specialist who currently owns and operates a private Medical Fitness Center in Penang. Apart from coaching, he also conducts workshops and actively contributes articles related to corrective exercise, fitness & health to online media and local magazines.