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Sports Injury Prevention Essentials

When playing a sport, training, or even performing everyday physical activities, you are unfortunately at risk of suffering an injury. Many times these injuries are accidents that can’t be predicted or prevented. But there are a couple things you can do to protect yourself from some common causes of injuries.

Warm-Up

  • A warm up is used to activate muscles groups before a bout of exercise, game, or activity.
    • Walk, jog, dynamic stretches (trunk twists, leg swings, shoulder circles etc)
  • “Cold” muscles are tight and have a great chance for being strained. Warm ups should increase your heart rate and increase blood flow to muscles (therefore warming them up).
  • Pre-activation exercises are a great way to target specific muscles groups in order to prepare them for a certain activity.
  • You either target the exact muscles that are going to be exercise or their antagonists (group of muscles that perform the opposite function).
    • Some examples of pre-activation exercises are:
      • Band resisted hip exercises before a leg work out
      • Band resisted ankle exercises before a run
      • Machine Rows (for your back muscles) before you do bench press

Stretching and Foam Rolling

  • Stretching and foam rolling can be performed either at the beginning or end of an exercise/activity
  • Both can relieve tension built up in muscles and decrease stress on joints
  • Foam rolling can be used to release trigger points in muscles to allow for better contractions and decrease the chance of any muscle damage during exercise.
    • Dynamic stretches before a workout, static stretches at the end
    • Foam roll your IT band and quads before a lower body exercise

During a Workout

  • It is very important to perform every exercise with the proper form and through the entire range of motion (as tolerated). The more strict and controlled you are with each movement, the less opportunity there is for injury.
  •  Completing the exercise through its full range of motion effectively strengthens entire muscles and leads to better mobility (ability to control muscle through entire range of motion).
    • Knees shouldn’t come over your toes and heels should stay down during a squat.
    • Bring your chest all the way to the ground before pressing all the way back up on a pushup in order to train through the full range of motion.

Don’t forget to finish with a cool down! A proper cool down should:

  • Bring your heart rate back down to normal levels
  • Prevent muscles from tightening up following an exercise
  • Better prepare you for your next workout!

 

By David McCalla, CSCS

What’s my RMR? More importantly, what is an RMR?

Okay, what is an RMR? Why is it important? Is it the ‘secret ingredient” to help put on muscle or lose weight? Let’s start from the top and work our way in.

RMR is an acronym for Resting Metabolic Rate. Your RMR is a sum of all the calories your body burns in order to keep itself alive; i.e. heart beating, breathing, and digesting food. On a surface level, that’s it. Your RMR will not be all the calories you burn in a day because you also have to factor in your daily activities. These are going to be everything else you need to do, such as walking, the gym, laundry, brushing teeth… you get the point.

What factors influence your RMR? Can it be changed?

The RMR is completely unique to you. It is influenced by things like body composition, height, weight, gender, muscle mass, and age. A bigger person, with more muscle mass will tend to have a higher RMR than someone who may be shorter, lighter and have less muscle mass. There are also ways to change your RMR, for example, losing weight (both fat and muscle) will yield a lower RMR while putting on muscle will increase your RMR (how much energy you burn).

Is my RMR the golden ticket to changing my body composition?

Not entirely. There are many calculators online you can use to find an RMR, but the numbers vary and may not always be accurate. At Peak, we have a calibrated metabolic cart that will calculate your RMR more accurately. Once you’ve completed an RMR, how can this information be used? Now is when you contact a health professional to move forward with a caloric range based on your future goals. Utilze this information in conjunction with your nutrition and exercise plans. Put in the effort and stay consistent toward your goals to feel better and healthier!

 

 

By Matthew Rhodes, MS

 

 

Strength Training with Kids

Once a controversial topic, strength training within the younger population has been proven to be beneficial in a number of ways. There are several positive effects of strength training including, teaching the “mind to muscle connection,” improving coordination, and injury prevention. When done properly, young athletes can greatly benefit from a properly constructed strength training program. However, the right programming is essential to keeping kids healthy and injury free.

Most children have yet to develop muscular coordination and therefore will find it extremely difficult to maintain proper form under the stress of outside resistance. Free weights or machines may not be appropriate in many cases, this is where body weight comes into play. A proper program for a child should be comprised of several body weight exercises and avoiding complex exercises; meaning excluding those that involve lifting free weights in a complex manor. Body weight exercises are not only good to help build them a muscular foundation, but to help develop their coordination and highly mitigate the risk of injury. Risk of injury in young athletes is very high and this is frequently due to lack of muscular development which does not support their joints and ligaments. This injury risk can be prevented by starting to develop strength and sport specific skills at an earlier age. The following are some example of body weight exercises that may be appropriate to incorporate into an adolescent strength training program: squats, walking lunges, wall sits, box jumps, push ups, dips, planks, and/or leg lifts.

Not only will beginning an exercise routine early on help kids to develop muscular coordination and strength, but it will help them excel at their sport. The decreased risk for serious injury will give them a great foundation to further develop later into their teenage years.

The Benefits of the Squat

A squat is a compound movement which involves strengthening the lower body. The squat has often been geared towards athletes to better improve their athletic performance due to the amount of muscle recruitment involved.  The squat has many neuromuscular benefits making this a good addition to a sport specific exercise prescription. Athletes can benefit from front squats and back squats, but that is not the only benefit of this exercise.
According to Brad J, Schoenfeld, “it is estimated that over 200 muscles are activated during squat performance.”  Over time, the squat has developed a reputation of superiority for not only athletes, but any individual who wants to improve their functional movements such as lifting packages or picking up a baby.  Functional movements like this are required for daily activity and in order to be done correctly without strain, several muscle groups must be recruited together. The squat has now become an exercise of functionality that does not always have to be done with heavy weights.  This translates well into clinical settings where individuals who suffer from chronic knee pain, chondromalacia, patellofemoral dysfunctions, total joint replacements and ankle instability can benefit from strength training.
In a paper by A. Braidot on the “Biomechanics of Front and Back Squat Exercises,” Braidot discusses the closed kinetic chain where the distal end remains fixed compared to an open kinetic chain where the distal end of the segment that moves is free. When using a machine such as the leg extension, muscle recruitment is isolated to the quadriceps group, whereas in a squat, there are over 200 muscles being recruited. This exercise engages more muscles as a result of the instability during the execution of the squat. This makes your abdominal and postural muscles work together to help your balance, too.  So the next time you are working with your Exercise Physiologist, ask if the squat is right for you!
By Brandon Ayala

The Effects of Exercise on Psychological Well-Being

Cardiovascular Training (aka “cardio” or “endurance training) refers to positively stressing the heart muscle by elevating our heart rate through prolonged, repetitive activity.  This form of activity yields a long list of benefits ranging from improved blood flow throughout the body, lowered cholesterol, decreased chances of certain cancers (breast, colon), increased lung capacity, and weight loss.  Most professional organizations recommend performing this activity for at least 3 or more days out of the week for at least 20-30 minutes of a moderate intensity in order to receive the best benefits.
Understanding that cardio does not have to come in the form of treadmill running or cycling is a key element.  Recreational sports, golfing, walking, and even long-term yard work can all yield similar benefits if performed for a longer period of time.  Many people have heard of the aforementioned pros of cardio but forget about the psychological effects.  Especially for those whom wish to lose weight but are struggling to stay motivated and start a weight-loss program, it is important to note that cardiovascular training can improve a person’s general well-being, mood, anxiety levels, and self-concept.

A few research studies have been done over recent years which provide evidence of the psychological benefits of CV training.  A 15-week study was performed on 35 overweight or mildly obese women to test the effects of brisk walking for 45 minutes, 5 days/week on certain psychological aspects.  The results of this study showed a significant improvement in general well-being, energy levels, and lowered anxiety in the group that performed cardiovascular training versus the group that performed no exercise at all (Cramer, et al).

Another study that was conducted in recent years involving the effects of physical activity on weight loss and mental health received results which pointed to physical activity being the reason for mental health improvements and elevations in mood, not specifically cardiovascular fitness.  Not only did these subjects lose a significant percentage of body fat due to various forms of physical activity, but their mental health improved as well (Thirlaway, et al).

Therefore, the take home message would be that it may not necessarily matter how fit someone is in order to lose weight and improve their mental state of being.  Regardless of the success you are having with your weight-loss regimen, performing cardio or any form of physical activity has been linked to an improved state of mind.  With a healthier mental state/mood, we as humans are more likely to continue to be active, and the more activity we perform the better chances of shedding pounds.

 

By Anthony Locast

Cramer, Sylvia R., David C. Nieman, and Jerry W. Lee. “The effects of moderate exercise training on psychological well-being and mood state in women.” Journal of Psychosomatic Research 35.4 (1991): 437-449.

Thirlaway, Kathryn, and David Benton. “Participation in physical activity and cardiovascular fitness have different effects on mental health and mood.” Journal of psychosomatic research 36.7 (1992): 657-665.

Exercising in the Heat

A nice, sunny day might give you a little more motivation to do your workout outside. However, for some people being outside in the sun can be exhausting and you’ll find yourself drained by the end of the day. This can be a bad combination especially without taking proper hydration precautions. More often than not, people are suffering from some degree of dehydration yet think their daily water intake is more than adequate. Hydration is not something that comes from same day water intake; hydration is a consistency of proper fluid intake from days prior.

Simply, warmer weather and higher humidity can cause your body to sweat more. The more you sweat the more fluids your body is losing which can cause dehydration if you are not replacing them. If you’re already dehydrated before heading outside, then you may find yourself lethargic and losing energy more quickly. This can easily be prevented and should be taken quite seriously. The general guideline is that you should be drinking 8 8-ounce glasses of water each day. However, this may not be enough for some people; aim for half your body weight in ounces or .5oz-.75oz of water per pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 150lbs you should be consuming 75oz of water per day.

Especially when you’re exercising outdoors, it is important to be properly hydrated before heading out the door. Regularly consuming the proper amount of water will help you feel better, more energized, and have successful outdoor workouts!

 

By Tyler Palmquist

Off-Season Weight Training for Athletes

Resistance training is a major component for progression in athletic performance. Although the best way to improve performance would be to practice the skills specific to that sport, resistance training allows athletes to target certain muscles/muscles groups. Strength training off the playing field will help them become stronger for their sport.

Off-season resistance training is a great way to get ahead of the competition without interfering with in-season practice schedules. In addition, due to its length, the off-season allows for longer periods of training for progressing specific resistance exercises. A traditional offseason resistance training program for the majority of athletes should be split in to 3 phases; Hypertrophy, Strength, and Power.

Hypertrophy Phase
Hypertrophy means muscle growth (increases in size of muscle fibers). Increased muscle size translates to muscles that are more efficiently capable of becoming stronger muscles. This type of training is characterized by high volume workouts; high sets and repetitions, low to moderate weights, and smaller rest times.

Strength Phase
Strength is the ability to move the most possible weight. Utilizing the increased muscle size from the hypertrophy phase, athletes should be safely attempting heavy lifts in order to increase overall strength. The strength phase is characterized by lower repetitions, increased weights and rest times.

Power Phase
Power is defined as ones ability to perform an exercise over a specific unit of time. Power exercises are characterized as explosive, sport-specific movements that involve strength and speed (Olympic lifts, box jumps, sled push/pulls etc.) Utilizing strength gains from the previous phase, athletes should be able to move heavier weights more quickly and explosively. Workouts should be sport specific and focus on the speed and efficiency of heavy lifting. The power phase is characterized by lower repetitions, moderate to heavy weights, and moderate rest times.

Following the final phase of the off-season, athletes should decrease their time in the weight room in order to recover and make time for pre-season practice in their respective sports. A well planned training program can keep an athlete in shape during the long off-season and give them the boost they need to be a step ahead of the competition!

 

By David McCalla

Warming Up for Recreational Sports

March Madness is here and spring is right around the corner! Baseball has started Spring Training and the weather is starting to get nicer as the days get longer. For all of the avid basketball fans and recreational players, it’s exciting to watch the college basketball season come to a close. Many of us don’t do as much physical activities in the winter as we do when the weather starts to get warmer. We all can reminisce on the “good old days” when we were able to just go for a run or play a sport without warming up. However, the more time you’ve spent away from an activity should mean more time that you spend on a quality warm up and cool down. This is important to help prevent injuries and ensure you’re feeling great for the next days.

Taking 5-10 minutes to go through some light stretching and dynamic movements is important for your well-being. Here’s an example of a simple warm up you can do before most physical activities:

1) Light Jogging ~3-5 minutes

2) Walking Quad stretch (kick your heels up to your butt while stepping forward)

3) Frankenstein’s (lightly kicking leg straight in front while walking forward)

4) Lunge with Reach (step forward with one leg then bend both knees to 90 degrees and lift arms to the sky)

5) Side Lunges (with toes facing forward, step sideways bending one leg while keeping the other straight then step to the other side)

There are many different warm ups and ways to make it more for your activity. Your Exercise Physiologist can develop a specific program for you. Remember the goal of a warm up is to get your body ready for the activities it will soon be doing. Increasing your heart rate and increasing blood flow to skeletal muscles will decrease your chance for injuries during sports. Most importantly, have fun out there and be safe!

 

Corynne Pereira