Are you skiing lots this winter? Snow boarding, snow shoeing, cross country skiing or skating? What is your favourite winter activity? Whether it involves downhill, Nordic or ice time, winter can be a big season for sports related injuries. Here are some tips and pointers to keep in mind before and after hitting the mountain.
Did you know that the 7 major errors related to sports injuries are:
- Overtraining
- Inadequate strength and/or flexibility
- Unbalanced mineral and/ or nutrition intake
- Improper warm-up
- Excessive mileage or speed
- Ignoring the impact of different surfaces
- Improper gear……..
So before you set out to take on the colder activities, make sure you’re hydrated, well fed and have warmed your body up through movement and active stretching. Also remember to notice when you’ve had enough for the day!
One might ask, “but why stretching?” Here are some useful tips for why stretching is important:
- Tight muscles should be elongated before opposing weak muscles are strengthened.
- It provides the body with correct range of motion.
- To prevent structural changes and deformities.
- To possibly prevent injuries.
- And to simply increase flexibility prior to exercise.
If you have any questions on stretching, how to stretch better or to simply get on a regime for stretching and strengthening, anyone of our team members in chiropractic, massage or physiotherapy can help you with this.
If you are considering treatment related to your sport, please reach out to the clinic and we’ll be happy to help as the ultimate goal is to enhance your sports performance.
–Chelsea Konechny, RMT
