Tips for Preventing Winter Activity Injury
Read Top Tips for Winter Activities Injury Prevention
Chiropractic Care
Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie Florida
Prevent Injuries During Winter Activities:
It is no surprise that snow, ice and freezing weather can create slips, falls and serious injuries for people. Although we don’t experience much snow fall in Florida, travelers that indulge in winter sporting activities are far more likely to receive injuries, especially if they have not conditioned their bodies in advance.
Skiing, skating and tobogganing can all lead to muscle spasms, strains or tears in those who aren’t physically prepared. Colder temperatures cause less blood to flow to the extremities in order to keep the core warmer. This means muscles work less efficiently and injuries are more likely.
Properly Warming up your Body:
It is important before embarking on any exercise or sport in cold weather. This applies to both outdoors and indoors, if the temperature inside is also low. The following should provide a basic guide to warming up in various sporting endeavors:
Skiing: Perform 10 to 15 squats, legs shoulder width apart, knees aligned over your feet. Lower your buttocks as you bend your knees out over your feet, then push up to standing again. Slowly do it.
Skating: Several lunges, adopting a moderately advanced step forward with one foot, letting your back knee lower towards the floor. Keep your shoulders positioned over your hips, and repeat with your other foot.
Tobogganing: Sitting or lying on your back, bring your knees to your chest for 30 seconds several times to guard against compression injuries caused by the shocks of bouncing down bumpy slopes.
Cooling Down: Important during and after winter exercise and sport to restore and maintain flexibility.
If you happen to be shoveling snow, the following guidelines should help to protect your musculoskeletal system:
Plan your shoveling so you don’t rush it; listening to weather forecasts will help!
- Wear several layers of clothing to keep your muscles warm and therefore flexible.
- Warm-up exercises can help prevent shoveling injuries, which particularly affect your shoulders, upper back, lower back, buttocks and legs.
- Push the snow straight ahead of you and carry it to where you want to dump it. Throwing it somewhere left or right involves potentially damaging twisting motions.
- Take some of the strain away from your back by bending your knees when shoveling and lifting the snow. Your leg and arm muscles are more apt to cope with strain than your back.
- Take regular breaks to rest your muscles.
- Any chest pain, excess fatigue or shortness of breath is a sign you should stop and seek medical attention.
- After finishing the job, although you’ll have no doubt had enough of the cold, applying an ice pack to any sore area will ease the pain. Keep it on there for 20 minutes before removing it for a couple of hours. Repeat twice a day for a couple of days. Any pain, strain or soreness that lingers beyond what you’d naturally expect may indicate a visit to your doctor of chiropractic is in order.
Wishing you and your families a safe holiday and happy travels!
Dr. Susan Sanders, DC has been serving families for 20 years and has been serving the Treasure Coast for the last 10 years providing family chiropractic care and personal injury treatments.The office is 1,400 square feet of Chiropractic and Rehabilitative therapies. We provide many types of adjusting techniques, by hand or with the use of adjusting tools to suit every one’s individual needs. We are in network with many insurance plans and also provide cash services as well as family and business contracts for those looking for group coverage. We look forward to serving you.
Dr. Sue
