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Archives and Online Features : Outdoor Shape: Training Tips

Outdoor Shape: Avoid Injury with Stability
By Kimberly Wong
2005 Apr (Vol. 7, No. 2)


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THE BIG THREE

Shoulders, low back and knees: If you get hurt, it’s most likely in one of these three crucial areas. What to do? Stability, acquired through strength, is the key  to avoiding injury. Anthony Luke, a sports medicine doctor at the University of California San Francisco, offers these tips on problems and prevention.

The Shoulders
Shoulder strength provides the muscle behind activities like rock climbing or kayaking. Injuries to the rotator cuff, which is composed of the muscles near the shoulder blades, are a common problem. “It works with fine motor control,” says Luke. “The rotator cuff is vital for keeping the shoulder stable.”


The Lower Back
Low back pain can put the entire body out of commission. To cut down on back problems, strengthen your core. “It’s a must,” says Luke. “Working the abdominal muscles and low back muscles is important, because they stabilize the spine and help maintain good posture. If you keep the core strong, it gives the low back more muscular support.”


The Knees
Your knees take a pounding on the trails. “Bending and climbing put a lot of pressure on the kneecap and the muscles controlling the kneecap,” says Luke. Building up the muscles surrounding the knee like the quadriceps, hip and groin muscles will help reduce the force on
the kneecaps.


Work It Out:
Three simple exercises  to keep you in the game

Shoulders/Rotator Cuff
Rotate the Rotator: Face a wall with good posture and hold a soccer ball against the wall with one hand. Outstretch your arm, and roll the ball to make a small circle. Slowly increase the size of the circle. Try to do this for at least two minutes. Work up to 10 minutes.

Core/Low Back
Assume the Superman Position: Try to balance on an exercise ball with your stomach on top of it. Raise both arms out while your feet stay on the ground. Then lift one leg at a time and try to maintain your balance. Hold for as long as you can. Start with 15 seconds and work your way up to a minute.

Knees
Do one-legged squats: Stand on one leg and bend so that the knee is directly over the center of the foot. Avoid turning your leg in or out, or dropping the hip. You should shoot for a set of 10-20 squats. To add difficulty, hop forward, landing on one foot and holding it.


Last Updated: Mar 7th, 2006 - 13:38:24
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