Prevention

May 31

Walking Towards Better Health

By Christian Seguin Prevention, Walking

Most of us are now enjoying the warmer season and all of the outdoor activities it accommodates. Summer sports, such as golf and tennis, are a great way to increase physical activity but on your quest to increase your health and wellbeing, do not overlook the simple yet highly beneficial act of walking. Walking is one of our basic functional movements, yet half of Canadians walk less than 30 minutes a day. These numbers are especially concerning, as walking just half an hour a day can have significant health benefits to your body and mind.

A recent study found that walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, can reduce your chances of coronary artery disease by up to 30%.

Walking has also been shown to stimulate and protect brain tissue, reducing the risk of dementia by up to 40%. Still not convinced? Here’s another fact: Daily walking is linked to a reduction in depression and anxiety and an increase in overall feelings of wellbeing.

How Much is Enough?

So how do we know how intensely we need walk to reap the benefits mentioned above? After all, walking can be as slow as someone browsing an isle at a grocery store, or as fast as the Olympic speed walkers. The American College of Sport Medicine recommends that in order to gain the most from walking, we must be exercising at a level of ‘moderate’ intensity. To gauge this intensity, you can use the ‘talk test’. This means that you should walk at an intensity light enough to be able to carry a conversation, but not so easy that you would be able to sing. If you don’t have much time in your schedule, divide your walks into three sets of 10-minute bouts, at least five days a week.

If you have a pedometer (a step counter), aim for 10,000 steps per day. Research has shown a target goal of 10,000 steps/day is enough to stimulate desired health benefits.

5 Tips to Get Started

Incorporate walking into your day: If you schedule daily walks, it will become routine. Walking to and from work, or going for walks on your lunch break are good ways to get started.
Start a walking group: This is a great way to get motivated. Social interaction and peer support can give you the extra kick you need to get out there and get going.
Dress for success: There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing! Dress in layers to allow you to adjust to changes in weather. Waterproof boots, big umbrellas, sunglasses, and hats, can give you that extra bit of protection that will make your walk more enjoyable.
Get extra support with walking aids: Walking poles, which look similar to ski poles, will give you extra support. Using these while walking increases your base of support, giving extra stability to those concerned about balance. They also help promote good posture by encouraging an upright stance while walking. Last, but not least, they promote upper extremity involvement, contributing to a whole-body workout. You’ll find walking poles at most major pharmacies.
Be creative: Walking can take place around your neighborhood, around your workplace, or through forest trail. To keep things interesting, don’t be afraid to take advantage of the many paths and trails available in SD&G and surrounding area. The local bike path offers a safe and scenic walking trail by the water. Gray’s Creek Conservation Area, the Bird Sanctuary, or the Summerstown Trails, offer cleared paths through the forest. Outdoor walking trails in different areas can be found on Alltrails.com. If the weather is not cooperating (which tends to happen around here), the Civic Complex and the Benson Centre have indoor walking tracks. It is not uncommon to use the halls of a shopping mall, such as the Cornwall Square, either!

If you’d like more information on how to incorporate walking into your daily life, talk to your physiotherapist at Active Sport Physiotherapy!

Apr 29

Get a Grip on Common Golf Injuries

By Christian Seguin Golf, Prevention

It’s that time of the year again. The Masters Tournament has wrapped and some of us are dusting off our clubs in anticipation of a sunny, golf-filled summer. I thought this would be the perfect occasion to talk about common golf injuries—how they happen and what you can do to prevent them.

On the surface, golf might seem like an injury-less sport but statistics show that 1 in 4 golfers who tee up in North America play with some type of injury. Golfers over the age of 50 have a much higher likelihood of injury. Even PGA tour professionals are at risk—they average two injuries per year.

So why do golfers get hurt?

When it comes to injuries, the biggest factor is the ability for tissues in the body to withstand the forces applied to them. Factors such as age, gender, and conditioning play a big part in how the tissues handle this force. Injuries come when tissues can’t withstand the force and break down.

You can develop an injury from a single traumatic force or from repetitive movement (accumulation of force). When it comes to the golf swing, both these instances are possible.

When it comes to a golfer’s body, there are a few common areas where damage occurs: the lower back, the shoulders, and the upper arm (wrists and elbows). Low back injuries are prevalent across all golfers, whereas shoulder injuries are the second most common injury for males; for females, the secondary injuries are to the wrists and elbows.

Here’s a rundown on what’s happening when you hurt yourself playing golf:

Low Back

The rotational stress of the golf swing puts the small joints, discs and muscles of the back under considerable loads that can often lead to failure. Combine that with the posture of leaning over your club, and the repetition that a round or practice session requires, and it’s not hard to understand why this is the most common area of injury. The best ways to minimize stress through your low back is to make sure to distribute the rotational stress through your legs, hips, pelvis, low back, upper back and neck. When one area doesn’t move well, the other areas have to pick up the slack. Most often, stiffness occurs in the hips and thoracic spine. When these two areas don’t rotate well, it means that your body will try to create as much rotation from your lumbar spine as possible and you’ll get hurt.

To prevent this, develop an exercise program that will improve the areas that are stiff in rotation and strengthen the core and back muscles to help your low back take on those loads. Work on a proper setup posture to achieve a neutral spine position before your swing, then work to maintain that spine position throughout your swing.

Shoulders

The muscles of your rotator cuff stay active throughout your golf swing, but where they are put under the most stress is at the top of your backswing and through impact. Swing plane and proper trunk rotation during your backswing are very important in minimizing this stress. The more rotation your body can comfortably go through in your backswing, the less reaching your shoulders need to do.

There are ways to minimize stress on your shoulder: improve the rotational capability and force production through your spine and/or take a shorter backswing. Many of us try to generate force through impact solely through our arms and this is when a shoulder injury. Working on the length of your backswing to match your body’s ability, perfecting your swing sequence, and exercising your trunk to improve rotation should be your priority if you have persistent shoulder problems persist.

Wrists/Elbows

Very similar to the shoulders, issues for your wrists and elbows come from your swing sequence and where you generate power in the swing. Golfers who try to set up power with their arms only are more likely to experience injury in these areas. Females tend to have a slightly higher incidence in the wrist and elbows (versus the shoulders) because they have smaller bone structure and less muscle mass in these areas. That means there’s less adaptability to stress through impact.

Equipment can also play a big role for injuries. Make sure 1) your clubs are the right size and weight for your body and strength, 2) your grips on your clubs fit your hand size 3) your grips are not worn so there is no excess grip pressure are all ways to reduce arm stress.

Working on your swing sequence as to not cast the club or release the hands too early can also minimize stress on the wrist and reduce the chance of hitting a shot fat.

The bottom line

The biggest way to help minimize your risk of injury on the golf course is to make sure you take the proper amount of time to do a warm-up. Increase the blood flow into the muscles you will be using for the swing, make sure your body feels supple and is moving well prior to repeated swings and practice.

Need help with your swing? Contact us to find out more about our mobile biomechanical analysis lab. We can analyze your movement, identify technique errors and help you avoid injury!

Apr 18

5 Common Spring Injuries…and How to Avoid Them

By Christian Seguin Physiotherapy, Prevention

Spring is now in motion and as the temperatures start to rise, we all want to start moving a little more. We tend to want to dive into spring cleaning, take up running or biking, head to the golf range to drive balls and start throwing to get our arms ready for ball season.

This invigorating time also coincides with an increase of visitors to the clinic. Typically, this is when I start seeing more people who show up with predictable problems:

Our patients with lower back issues are usually those who had an ambitious session of cleaning out the garage or basement or shed
Those with knee problems typically jumped back into running to quickly
People with lower back, wrist or elbow pain are often the golfers who couldn’t wait to get swinging
Sufferers of shoulder pain typically have been throwing too hard, too fast and too soon and show up with rotator cuff irritations

Unless you’ve been very active all winter, start all your spring activity slowly and deliberately over several days. Let the body adapt to the increase in movement and work. Your muscles and joints will not cooperate if you jump in cold turkey at high intensity and for long periods. Your joints will get stiffer and so will your muscle—the perfect recipe for an injury.

Follow our tips to avoid hurting your body:

For spring cleaning

Start with light objects earlier in the day to warm up. Let your body get used to walking, squatting repetitively and lifting. Your muscles and joints will loosen up and will be able to take on bigger tasks and loads as the day progresses—without the risk of overuse or sudden injury.

For running

When the weather warms up, the pavement dries out and the birds start singing, it’s as if you’ve been given a natural invitation to start running. But if you start too quickly and go too far, you will set yourself up for shin splints, knee pain, calf and achilles tendonitis. The best way to avoid these injuries is to alternate between walking and running, and to keep your distance low for the first few weeks. Walking 2 minutes and running 30 seconds is a very good way to getting accustomed to your “new” running legs. Over the following three weeks, you can increase the running time and decrease the walking time. Looking for a good running program? We like this one, from The Running Clinic.

For biking

When you start riding your bike in the spring—whether it’s a road, mountain or upright bike— the first kilometres will result in a sore buttock, and generalized soreness to your neck, shoulders and back. At the beginning of your season, avoid hills, get used to a regular cadence, and only ramp up the distance travelled once your body is well adjusted. If you’re new to cycling, you’ll find a good primer for beginners here.

For golfing

When springtime arrives, there’s a strong pull to get to the golf course to swing some clubs. Having good game when it comes to golf means consistency: same velocity, same angles, same technique, same arc of swing. But this consistency can lead to overuse injuries. So before you jump onto the course, make sure your lower extremities are flexible or else your low back spine will take the torque and stress at the end of your swing. Also, for the first few weeks of play, avoid your full swing. You need to make sure you build up your functional range before pushing the depth of your swing. Check out this slideshow of some of the best exercises that can help improve your game.

For throwing

Seasonal athletes like baseball or football players are definitely at risk for injuries when it’s time to ball-up! If you’re tempted to try a deep throw right off the bat, know that you’re guaranteeing yourself a trip to the physiotherapy clinic. Most throwing injuries are rotator cuff related. The solution is simple: make sure you return to throwing gradually over several weeks. Engage in a resisted shoulder workout program. Rest properly between throwing sessions. And finally, adjust the intensity of the game to YOUR capacity. (Remember, you’re not playing in the World Series!) If you’re looking to get ready balling, check out this off-season program that will help

We leave you with these words of wisdom (and common sense): An ounce of prevention goes a long way to ensure a long and enjoyable lifestyle for the whole summer season. Enjoy!

Don’t forget that we offer biomechanical analysis services at our clinic. If you’d like us to assess your golfing, running or swimming technique with our mobile lab, let us know. We can help you perfect your form and avoid injuries! Get in touch to find out more!

Feb 07

Avoiding Injury: 7 Shovelling Tips

By Christian Seguin Prevention

It’s wintertime. And we all know what that means—shovelling.

Shovelling is an inevitable reality that we must endure in wintertime. It’s hard work, and it puts heavy stress on your body. You’ll be at risk for all kinds of injuries, from slips and falls to sprains and strains. So it’s important to take safety precautions.

Here are our 7 tips for preventing injuries from shovelling.

1. Warm up.

Start slowly for the first 10-15 minutes. Brush down your cars or shoveling the stairs is a good way to get started.

2. Use the right shovel.

You might be tempted to use a bigger shovel so you can maximize your shoveling capacity. But bigger is not better. The bigger the shovel, the harder to push and the harder you will lift. Find a shovel, a scraper or a scoop you can handle using for half an hour without straining or overexerting.

3. Get a grip.

If it’s icy out, consider staying in. If that’s not an option, as so often is the case, wear snow cleats that fit over your regular boots. These will grip the ice and prevent falls. You can find these at local stores like Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, and Walmart and they will range in price from $30 to $80.

4. Prioritize pushing.

If you can, push the snow instead of lifting it. Lifting can add a great deal of strain to your back. If you absolutely have to lift, face forwards and don’t rotate your trunk. You want to pivot your whole body to move the snow to its new location.

5. Plan ahead.

At the beginning of your “workout”, you should never tackle hard tasks like moving heavy snow left behind by the plow. Why? Because you’re not warmed up. You also don’t want to save this type of heavier task until the end either because you’ll be tired and more likely to injure yourself. So, plan ahead and do this heavy work mid-workout when you’re still feeling strong and are maintaining good shoveling form.

6. Break it up.

Take regular mini-breaks to give your muscles a chance to recuperate. I like to think of this as an opportunity to look around and appreciate the beauty of winter!

7. Stay active.

If you’re a skier, a skater, a snowshoer or just enjoy tobogganing with your kids, get out there and enjoy winter! If you’d rather stay indoors, there are plenty of other options too. You can join sports activities—think tennis, pickleball, volleyball, etc—or stick to walking at the Benson Centre and Civic Complex, or even the mall.

A half hour of activities per day can help prevent injuries, ailments, and diseases. And it can help you stay fit so you can keep up with all the shoveling you’ll need to do!

As a final note, I’d like to thank the people who help relieve my shovelling duties: my generous neighbours with snow blowers, Yvon and Ron, who come to my rescue when needed, and also my 17-year-old son, Nathan, who shows great skill in this department.

Jan 07

How to Avoid Weekend Warrior Injuries

By Christian Seguin Prevention

So many people have schedules filled to the brim with full-time work, family duties, household responsibilities, and other commitments, so squeezing in regular recreational activities can be a real challenge. Many of us have become weekend warriors, managing to carve out some time to recreate on Saturdays and Sundays. As a result, we tend to push our activities to the limit in hopes of making the best of them. The problem is the remaining five days a week we spend sitting at a desk or in a car commuting back and forth to work or our kids’ activities. Despite this imbalanced schedule, we still expect our bodies to work in the same way they did when we were younger. Unfortunately, this type of schedule can increase our risk of injury.

There are a few things that you can do every day that can help to minimize your injury risk and help prepare your body and its tissues to better manage the occasional sport-related stress you place on it.

1. Warm up right.

When it comes to warming up our bodies before activity, it seems the older we get the lazier or more complacent we become. For example, we might get to the rink strap on the pads and jump into a game and expect our bodies to hold up. Or we decide to go for a run and start at race pace and wonder why our feet or knees hurt after the first kilometre.

There are many benefits to a proper warm-up that can help our body prepare to the needed workload.

These include:

Improving blood flow to working muscles, which allows them to be more pliable and accepting for stretch or loading.
Gradually increasing the heart rate and blood pressure, minimizing the chance of getting a rapid spike.
Improving oxygen and nutrient transport to the muscles and joints.
Improving neuromuscular efficiency and coordination.
Mentally preparing you for the upcoming task and increasing your focus.

A good warm-up should consist of a minimum of 10-15 minutes of dynamic movements involving the muscles you will be using for the upcoming activity.A good resource to use is the FIFA11+ warm-up routine, which has strong support for injury prevention behind its program. If you’re unsure about which movements should be included, speak with a healthcare practitioner, kinesiologist, or personal trainer—like our experts at Active Sport Physiotherapy Clinic—to help design something specifically for you.

2. Maintain a regular stretching and mobility routine at home.

Stretching doesn’t have long, drawn-out process. It can be as simple as five to 10 minutes each morning to get your body prepared to move for the day. Target major muscle groups and movement patterns that you will be using during the day, as well as muscle groups that may get neglected given your work environment. For example, those of us who spend the majority of the day in a seated position should look to stretch the hip flexors and lumbar spine to keep them from shortening over time.

3. Cool down.

It’s important to cool your body down after you’ve engaged in an activity. This doesn’t mean cool off the body with a cold adult beverage after the game (though that does sound good, doesn’t it?). Take the time after a workout to gently stretch the major muscles you used during your workout or activity.

A cool down period helps to:

Prevent blood pooling in the extremities.
Promote clearance of lactic acid from the muscles.
Restore your regular heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate.

4. Stay on the move.

It’s important you take the time to get up and move throughout your day. Recommended guidelines suggest that you should stand up at least once per hour if working in a seated position. This can be as simple as getting up for a drink of water or going to the bathroom. But remember, the more you move, the better your body will feel. Having regular bouts of activity throughout your day will help keep your muscles from adapting a shortened position and improve circulation into your lower extremity.

So there you have it, weekend warrior. You may not have the chance to engage in high-energy activity throughout the week but by staying active and healthy, taking the proper precautions to keep your body prepared to handle the stresses you place on it on the weekend, you’ll minimize the risk of injury. If you have any questions about what you can do to prevent injuries, reach out to us by email here or give us a call at 613-936-0676. We’re happy to help!