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Stretching: Not just for sports
By Mike Daniels, LMT
Carpe Trapezius Massage Services
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is a paradigm by which I try to live my life. Naturally, some days are more successful than others. But this recent spate of weather combined with several conversations I’ve had with clients over the last couple of weeks have brought an issue to my mind that corresponds with the severity of the weather we’ve been having.
We are all busy people and many of us engage in outdoor activities, such as snowboarding, skiing or sledding, and most of us are smart enough to fit in a sensible stretching routine to warm up the body before we use it. This makes sense, the cold weather can cause muscles to contract a bit more, so stretching makes a lot of sense before you strap on the skis or snowshoes this winter.
Why is it then that these same people when faced with the task of shoveling or pushing the snow blower up and down the drive, fail to stretch out before exerting themselves?
Is it because people don’t see these sorts of activities as being athletic? Is it because the need to get the job done is seen as urgent? Or is this just a habit begun in youth that follows us into later stages of life?
Regardless of why it happens, the fact remains that for any strenuous outdoor activity, or even an indoor activity, should be preceded by a good comprehensive stretching routine. A good stretching routine warms muscles and prepares them for more exertion, in addition to lubricating joints, and starts to bring much needed oxygen to the muscles for the effort they are about to expend. A good stretching routine will target most of the joints of the body, including the neck, shoulders, wrists, hips, knees and ankles.
Once you’ve gotten the muscles warm, it’s important to keep them warm, dressing sensibly for the weather. Head protection has a higher priority than just about anything else, since that’s where the majority of the heat will be lost.
Pacing yourself is also important. Just as it’s best for the body to do short bursts of high-intensity exercise for building muscle, it’s important that you don’t overwork your body doing repetitive motions. Take a short breather every 10 to 15 minutes, but only for a minute or two. If you take a longer break, you’ll be giving your muscles time to cool down and increase the potential of injury.
Finally, when you’re done with your outdoor project, take a few minutes to stretch and cool down. This allows a gradual return of the heart rate to normal, muscles to cool down properly and even enables you to increase your flexibility. This is something that should not be the focus of warm-up stretches.
Proper preparation for outdoor activities from sports to simple maintenance ensures that you’re in the best possible frame of mind for anything unexpected, and can minimize the likelihood of slips, spills or strains.
Mike Daniels is the owner of Carpe Trapezius Massage Services in Anchorage. He has more than 12 years of professional experience in massage therapy and fitness training. Call (907) 646-9229 for an appointment.
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