Valentine's Dinner February 14th Family Day - Calgary Winter Club

aVOIDING New year’s INjury syNDrOMe
By Lois Pohlod, Sport Physiotherapist
2009 is in full swing and hopefully so are those New Year’s Resolutions. Fitness should be a continuing part of a healthy lifestyle.
Slow, steady progression on a regular basis is the key to staying injury free. Doing an activity your enjoy makes fitness
seem easy. Here are a few rules to live by:
1. Consult a fitness instructor before beginning a new program. Learn how to use the equipment properly. Update and
review your program with your instructor on a regular basis as recommended by your trainer.
2. Consult your physiotherapist or health care professional if you have an unhealed injury. If you stopped activity due to
pain, the injury may still be there waiting to return!
3. Start slowly and work your way up. Set goals for each week and month. In running, the 10% rule is a safe bet – don’t
increase your running workout time by more than 10% a session and 10% a week. Sticking to this rule allows your body
to slowly build up distance with minimal to no injury risk. For other (non pounding) sports you can usually increase by
20% but gradual increase is the key.
4. Check that equipment. Are you putting on new shoes or dusting off ones that are months (or years old)? Shoes that have
sat around may have lost their absorptive qualities and may lead to injury. Are the strings in that racquet tight?
Regularly restringing your racquet is important to prevent upper extremity injury (not to mention improving your game!)
5. Listen to your body’s cues and signals. If during your exercise session one day your body hurts and you are struggling
to maintain your form, back off. Listen to your body and perhaps spend your session actively stretching or just take the
day off. Reflect on potential causes of this bad session – did you sleep poorly, are you overtraining, are you coming
down with the flu? Taking an easy or off day often is important in your long term fitness commitment.
6. Maintain flexibility, balance and strength. Every good fitness program includes time spent working on core stability,
posture, strength and flexibility. Primary muscle groups get stronger with exercise but often the stabilizers are ignored,
leading to injury. A good example is the shoulder rotator cuff. The anterior cuff works hard in racquet sports and
swimming. The posterior cuff is needed to stabilize the humerus in the joint while swinging or stroking. If they become
lengthened and weak, the imbalance may lead to impingement syndrome and a visit to the physiotherapist.
7. Pay attention to technique. Even if it is an easy day in the exercise regime, pay attention to your technique. Poor
technique leads to bad habits and potential injury. If you are not sure of technique, consult a professional.
8. Enjoy each session. Plan your workout into your day. Don’t rush it. Make sure you have fuelled properly and start in a
relaxed frame of mind. Life is often too hectic and exercise should be enjoyable every day.
The year is just weeks old and you will keep your resolution by staying committed to a regular, balanced, enjoyable exercise
regime. Keep these rules in mind as you progress your program and have fun!
Reference: Molyneux, Grant; Effortless Exercise, A Guide to Fitness, Flow States and Inner Awareness, Frontlist Publishing, Calgary, 2008.
Sweet & Savory Spiced Nuts
2 cups mixture of your favorite nuts: pecan halves, almonds, hazelnuts...
Spice Mix:
2 tablespoons sugar 3
/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1
/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1
/8 teaspoon allspice
1
/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less to taste)
Glaze:
1 tablespoon water 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon canola or corn oil
Cooking instructions:
Heat the oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees. Spread the nut mixture on a baking sheet and toast them for 6 minutes or
until they are fragrant and their color deepens slightly. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the spice mix. In a saucepan,
combine the glaze ingredients and bring them to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Stir in the toasted nut mixture
and continue to stir until the nuts are shiny and the liquid is gone (about 1-2 minutes). Move the glazed nuts to a mixing bowl,
sprinkle on the spice mix and toss them well to coat. Spread the coated nuts on a cookie sheet and return them to the oven
for another 4 minutes (check regularly to make sure they don’t burn). Remove and let cool.
calgarywinterclub.com | February 2009 17
Fitness