Welcome to December! Not only are we in the midst of the holiday rush season for Christmas, it also happens to be ski season, or snow boarding as the case may be.
For many of my clients it's the time of year they've been looking forward to all year long. We've ramped up their training over the past few months to make sure they are in proper condition (think climbing a long flight of stairs and not being out of breath), have great balance and a strong, stable core. Remember, when it comes to winter sports or activities you are dealing with the added factor of instability because of the ice and snow. So your program has to be well rounded to avoid possible injury.
You'd be surprised how many times I've watch gym regulars come in on crutches from late December to early February talking about a fall they've taken; some on the slopes, and some actually in the parking lot on the way to the slopes.
I don't want that for you. So this month I want to make sure that each of you is ready for your winter activities, whether it's skiing, snow boarding or ice skating. Each of these activities deals with significant balance issues, having a strong and stable core, as well has having strong, yet flexible hips. So each week of the month I will share with you warm-up techniques, stretches, and exercises to make this season your best yet.
Funny thing about me, while I do largely focus on getting people out of pain through the use of self-massage and exercises, I happen to have also gotten really good at helping people avoid pain. Once you've figured out how to fix a certain problem, it's not long before it becomes clear on what to do to avoid that painful experience all together.
For those of you that have been following my posts for any length of time, you know I believe in a proper warm-up. And a proper warm-up is comprised of two specific elements: 1) self-massage of all the important areas, and 2) a flexibility routine to get your body fully warmed up.
I want to make an important note here regarding warming up. I know how much I despised it when I first started over 20 years ago. I really didn't see the value in it and quite honestly felt it was a waste of time. Well now after years in the business of helping people get out of pain and doing research, I can tell you warming up is worth every minute. In fact, in most cases injuries occur (minus of course impact injuries like being tackled or falling) due to a poor warm-up routine or no warm-up routine at all. The muscles have not been adequately prepared for activity (think of trying to stretch a rubber band you've had in the refrigerator all night and then pull it out of the refrigerator and start stretching it vigorously).
So today I will share with you some techniques you may or may not be familiar with regarding self-massage. Next week I will share with you some stretches to complete your warm-up phase. The following week will move into various exercises to make sure you are seriously ready to tackle the winter festivities.