Spring Exercise
With the snow now gone, we can now enjoy our exercise outdoors. Try these four great spring exercises.
Walking
Health Benefits: An aerobic low impact exercise that is not likely to cause injury. Walking protects against diabetes and high blood pressure, and strengthens the cardiovascular system.
New Ideas:
- With the snow gone a greater range of routes lie waiting to be walked. Take advantage of this and try out new routes to add variety to your walking routine.
- Power walk with friends for an enjoyable and social workout that will motivate you to keep up the routine.
- Join a walking or hiking club to help keep you on track.
Golf
Health Benefits: The walking required in golf targets the legs, while putting and driving target the arms and core, making golf a great low intensity full body workout.
For Beginners: A great game for new golfers is the pitch-n-putt. The pitch-n-putt is bigger than miniature golf courses, yet smaller than regular courses and so still allows for much walking for exercise. The smaller size is less intimidating and overwhelming to new golfers.
Tennis
Health Benefits: Tennis involves continual movement and running, and will help to improve endurance and coordination.
Cheap alternatives: A great way to overcome the expenses of tennis is to sign up for inexpensive lessons at the nearest YMCA, or any other local community center.
Bicycling
Health Benefits: Cycling is another low impact aerobic activity which also helps with balance and coordination. This exercise helps to manage blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart problems as well as diabetes. In addition, cycling helps to strengthen bones.
Bonus: Not only is biking good for the body, but it is also an environmentally friendly means of transportation. Cycling allows one to go further and discover more than running, and cycling can sometimes be faster than transit or motor vehicles. Traveling by bike allows for a more predictable commute time.
Written by Megan Meisner
Weight Training:
Weight training can cause injuries, although far fewer than many sports, such as football and soccer. Furthermore weight training in a safe and proper manner will help one become stronger and more resistant to injury, thereby reducing one’s risk of injury more than simply being sedentary. Knowing how to perform weight training exercises, knowing your body’s limits, and having good judgment about the load attempted to lift will serve to reduce the risk of injury. With weight training, it is recommended that one train regularly, consistently and with gradual increases in load, intensity, or time. This concept of adapting progressively is called the “training effect”.
Overuse injuries result from frequent and intense training, and they often involve an overworked tendon. Tendons join muscle to bone and an overworked tendon can lead to tendonitis. More serious injuries involve a structure that has broken down or worn away. Examples of these types of injuries include pulled tendons, worn cartilage, or strained muscles or ligaments. In these instances, medical treatment is usually required. The three most common sites of injury in weight trainers are the shoulders, lower back, and knees. Related injuries are usually overuse injuries, and serious injuries are rare. It is a good idea to strengthen areas of the body that are more susceptible to injury, such as the lower back, hamstrings, shoulder rotator cuff complex, and quadriceps (which control knee function). This can be done using light weights and stability exercises.
Strength training can show benefit in endurance sports, such as running, swimming and cycling. If areas of the body that are highly prone to injury are strengthened with weight training, one can rely on the strength of these areas during endurance training at times when energy is low.
Weight training is part of a well rounded fitness routine, and shows benefit in many areas of activity that one would not expect. It is imperative that weight training be done properly to minimize injury. Consult a health care professional before beginning a new weight routine. Kew Gardens Health Group would be glad to offer suggestions in that regard.
Written by Megan Meisner
We all know of the guy back in school that was falling asleep in class, never paying attention, always getting sick and generally struggled to keep up with the rest of the group. People viewed him as lazy, less intelligent, and unmotivated compared to his peers. Now this might be partly the truth, but in most cases those individuals are just sleep-deprived.
Being sleep-deprived can adversely affect your mental focus as well as your body’s immune system and physical repair mechanisms. Athletes can often neglect their sleep as part of a comprehensive training program. They will address their nutritional profile, their strength and cardiovascular demands, and the technical skills required of their sport but will somehow neglect their sleep and recovery.
There are 5 stages of sleep – stage one (alpha), two through four (delta) and Rapid Eye Movement (beta). It takes around 90 minutes to cycle through the stages, and the cycles repeat themselves through the night’s sleep. Stages 1-4 are used for the body to physically heal itself from the wear and tear of the day’s activity. This involves fighting off disease, repairing damaged tissue and growing of new tissue. Stage 5 is when REM dreams occur, where neurological connections are made, and where the mind recovers and reorganizes after the day’s activity.
Every person requires a different amount of sleep. How much damage you do to your body (including your brain!) determines how much sleep you require to repair these processes. Everyone needs between 7-10 hours of sleep a night. Children who are still growing may require at least 10 hours, adolescents an average of 9.25 hours with sedentary adults getting away with 8 hours of sleep. (Nitka, 2002) A study in the United States indicated that only 85% of adolescents are obtaining their required sleep. Sleep-deprivation is also linked to a decrease in performance in school, with those students sleeping less than 8 hours scoring C grades or lower on average. Sleep deprivation can also affect co-ordination and cognitive function similar to someone with a .08 blood alcohol level. (Nitka, 2002)
Creating an optimal environment will increase the quality of your sleep. Aim for complete darkness as the release of the sleep regulating hormone melatonin will be affected. Try to sleep in a consistent place as sleeping on couches and in class will not be conducive to proper recovery. A noisy environment may affect the quality of your sleep even at a level which does not wake you. A semi-firm mattress with a good pillow is recommended and you should avoid sleeping on your stomach. Napping can be beneficial for individuals who are pushing themselves hard and require more recovery time. The goal of at least 9 hours sleep AT NIGHT should still be adhered to regardless of sleep accumulated through mid-day napping.
Athletes require more sleep than the average individual. They put their bodies through extensive wear and tear with training and competition. Their minds are stressed in learning new skills and the preparation required for competition. Adequate rest and recovery is needed, and proper sleep is central to this process. Make sleep a priority in your comprehensive training program and you will see the benefits in your training and your game.
Here are some pictures demonstrating some of the most common core stability exercises. Many thanks to members of the Ontario Blues Mens Rugby Team!
Blues Manager Mark Winokur demonstrates a plank
Shawn Windsor demonstrates a side bridge
Doug Wooldridge demonstrates a cross crawl
Mark Macsween and Keegan Selby demonstrate a partner-assisted plank
For more information on Core stability, check out the article
here. Information for the Ontario Blues Rugby team can be found at
www.rugbyontario.com
Sit-ups used to be the go to exercise for getting that tight, toned midsection and rock hard 6-pack abs. Athletes did them, fitness buffs advocated them, even doctors prescribed them to their couch-potato patients who wanted to lose inches and get that David Hasselhoff-like body.
And somewhere between the Hoff prancing down the beach on the set of Baywatch and the infomercial-driven world of closet-clogging exercise equipment, the sit-up developed a bad reputation. Exercise science started to come out with studies indicating that the stress and strain put on the body while doing a sit-up could actually be harming the individual and leading to further injury in the future. Statistics also started to arise that injury was not necessarily prevented with a six-pack type physique, but rather was dependent upon the balanced strength of an individual’s core.
The anatomical “core” is a complex of muscles which encircles the abdomen. They are composed of your low back muscles, your abdominal muscles (six-pack abs) as well as muscles which encircle your entire mid-section called the transverse abdominis (TA). It turns out that those who suffer back injuries have poor recruitment of both the small muscles in their lower back as well as the transverse abdominis.
Core-training has also been well publicized and has lead to another wave of inventions and training systems flooding the Infomercial market on late-night TV. The most common reserach-supported exercises to help strengthen the core include the plank, side bridge and the “bird-dog”. Pictures of these exercises can be seen here.
If you have any questions regarding proper core training or beginning an exercise program, please contact the health professionals at Kew Gardens Health Group.
With September rolling around and the kids going back to school, now is a good time to review some simple tips for Back-Pack Safety
1) Encourage children to utilize both straps when carrying a backpack
2) Make sure to adjust the straps properly to ensure proper distribution of weight
3) Pack the heavier items at the bottom of the bag for better distribution
4) Maximum load should be less than 10% of the child’s weight
If you follow these guidelines, you can ensure that your child is safe when returning to school!
For more details on the Ontario Chiropractic Association’s “Pack it Light, Wear it Right” campaign, visit them at: www.chiropractic.on.ca
Our second BLOG about stretching looks at the assertion that stretching before competition will increase performance.
A common claim was that stretching immediately before competition would increase your performance. A 2004 literature review found 21 studies which looked at performance and stretching prior to competition. 20 of the 21 studies actually found a DECREASE in performance if stretching is done prior to the activity with 1 study finding mixed results. These studies involved jumping, lifting or throwing types of activities. The reason for these findings is that stretching puts your muscles into a temporarily lengthened state that is not well equipped for maximum contraction.
So if stretching before activity does not prevent injuries and can actually decrease performance – What is a better alternative? A study conducted in 2004 involving rugby players demonstrated that dynamic stretching (quick stretching through a range of motion) produced significantly faster 20 meter sprint times than static stretching or no stretching at all. A follow-up study looked at combining dynamic and static stretching (slow, methodical stretch and hold) and revealed that static stretching could actually undo the effects of dynamic stretching, making the athletes slower, and less powerful.
The success of dynamic stretching is due to preparing the athlete for competition by mimicking the movements they will have to perform on the field of play. Especially at the higher levels, the emphasis now is on general body warm-up and dynamic stretching to prepare the athletes for competition. Warm-ups which mimic game-like situations will help prepare the athletes mentally for competition, and dynamic stretching will best prepare the body for the situations one will encounter during the course of play.
The take home message is that statically stretching immediately before competition may actually hinder performance. Getting away from slow stretching and towards quicker stretching techniques will help your athletes to avoid injury and perform at their very best.
In good health,
Dr. Scott Dunham
References
- Does Stretching Increase Performance? Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, Sept 2004, Shrier, Ian
- The effect of different warm-up stretch protocols on 20 meter sprint performance in trained rugby union players. Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research / National Strength & Conditioning Association 2004 Nov; Vol. 18 (4), pp. 885-8.
- The acute effects of combined static and dynamic stretch protocols on fifty-meter sprint performance in track-and-field athletes. Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research / National Strength & Conditioning Association 2007 Aug; Vol. 21 (3), pp. 784-7.
For years people have stretched before activity under the premise that it will prevent injuries. But is there research to substantiate this claim?
Flexibility is defined as “the ability to move a single joint or series of joints smoothly and easily through an unrestricted, pain-free range of motion”.1 A literature review by Thacker et Al. in 2004 looked at various studies on flexibility and injury rates. They found conclusively that stretching was NOT significantly associated with a reduction of total injuries.2 Those most prone to injury were found to be either really inflexible or really over-flexible.2 So if you are in the mid-range of flexibility then you are less likely to have an injury compared to your over-flexible or inflexible peers! If you find yourself excessively inflexible, a selective stretching program may prove beneficial when performed regularly at non-competition times (not right before exercise).
So if stretching before activity does not prevent injuries – What is a better alternative to prepare properly? Recently there has been a shift away from “static stretching” which is the typical slow, holding type of stretch which we are so accustomed to. The newest type of stretching that is increasing in popularity is “dynamic stretching” which involves stretching the muscle in a relatively fast-moving manner. Examples of this would be leg swings, butt-kicks, lunges, arm circles etc. The research is still accumulating, but the general consensus to date is that this is a much better way to prepare athletes for competition, and thus prevent injuries from occuring.
The take-home message would be to participate in activities that will get your body warm and mimic the motions and actions that will occur during the game, practice or exercise you are about to perform. Getting away from slow stretching and towards quicker stretching techniques will only help your athletes to avoid injury and perform at their very best.
In good health,
Dr. Scott Dunham
References
- Therapeutic Exercise: Foundations and Techniques. Carolyn Kisner, Lynn Allen Colby, F.A. Davis Company (April 2002), ISBN 080360968X
- The impact of Stretching on Sports Injury Risk: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2004 Thacker et al.
This Category for our BLOG will be to address specific Chiropractic questions, as well as educate regarding the Chiropractic profession. I will be posting regularly here about Chiropractic, and our scope of practice as Chiropractors.
If you have specific questions, please leave them as comments and I will address them in a following post.
Thanks!
Dr. Scott Dunham