Summer inspires activity!  There are so many options to appeal to any fitness level and interest.  There are runs and warrior dashes, competitive and recreational sports not to mention endless array of hobbies including gardening and fishing.

Unlike the balance we strive for in the gym or group exercise classes, sports and yard work tend to be dominant on one side and people frequently leap right in to play or work for extended periods of time without taking a break or thinking about recovery.

After waiting so long to get active outside, the LAST thing you want to do is to get derailed by injuries that are so easy to avoid with two simple steps!

Step #1 - Warm Up

This may sound silly when the weather is hot but spending 5-10 minutes warming up accomplishes three very important things.  First, you increase your core temperature and helps to delivery oxygen to the muscles you're going to be using.  It also lubricates the joints which is where so many injuries occur.  Finally, it prepares your body and your brain for the workout ahead - even when it's just for fun!

So how do you warm up?    You can walk briskly or climb up and down stairs but you can easily make your warm up sport-specific by starting with light to moderate intensity of whatever you're doing.  Next, include dynamic range of motion for your joints - shoulders, hips, knees.  This means small to exaggerated circles or sweeping but always controlled versus flailing or ballistic movements.  If you mimic the movements you'll be doing in your activity, this will help warm up neuromuscular patterns, often referred to as muscle memory.  No need for static stretches here, we save those for the end!

Step #2 - Cool Down

This is a critical element for workouts in the gym, but very often skipped when we're active for fun or work.   Spending time stretching AFTER your activity is the most effective time to focus on flexibility.  Your muscles are like taffy - stiff and tight when they're cold and much more pliable when warm.  

Tips for an effective cool down:

  • Gradually decrease intensity -  return to light intensity or take a few minutes to walk it out
  • Hold stretches for 20-30 seconds - this can be tough to do so make this social, put on your favourite music or set a timer
  • Comfortable but challenging - you want to feel lengthening but be careful not to overstretch as this can cause a stretch-reflex response where the muscle reacts and ends up even tighter!
  • Stretch ALL your major muscle groups - an easy tip is to start head to toe or the reverse
  • Think front/back - stretch both ways, but spend more time in the reverse position you were in most during your activity
  • Spend EXTRA time on the sport-specific spots - muscles and joints you used most during your activity
  • Here are a few key stretch points for common summer activities:

Biking

  • High stress spots:  low back from leaning forward; chest and shoulders from rounding in and down to the handle bars; quads and hamstrings from pedaling
  • Key stretch:   quad/hip flexor
  • Balance on one foot (hold on to something if you need) with knee soft.  Extend the other foot back on the floor or raised up on a step or chair and then press that hip forward to lengthen on the quadriceps (front of thigh) and hip flexor.

Tennis

  • High stress spots:  forearm, elbow and shoulders from gripping and the impact of swinging; back from twisting with impact; ankles from all the start and stop action
  • Key stretch:  soleus and plantar stretch
  • Stand with feet staggered front to back about one foot apart with heels on the ground.  With most of your weight on the rear leg, bend both knees feeling lengthening in the rear ankle area.  Then stretch the opposite direction with the laces of the rear foot down placing slight pressure downward.  

Golf

  • High stress spots:  forearms, elbow and shoulders from gripping and impact of swinging; shoulders from overextension and overuse; back from twisting and rotating
  • Key stretch:  back extension, flexion and rotation
  • Place your hands on a counter or table with your feet wide and back like you're being frisked!  Bend the knees and round the back upward in a cat-like stretch.  Next, drop your back down in an exaggerated position while pealing the chest upward to look forward.  At the same time, think about pressing your shoulders away from your ears.  This is much like a “cow” stretch in yoga but you don't have to be down on all fours and can do this stretch in the club house after without attracting too much attention!

Gardening/Yard Work

  • High stress spots:  back - low, mid and upper back from bending over, pushing and pulling motions
  • Key stretch:  back extension, flexion, rotation plus rhomboids and chest
  • The above golf stretches apply here as well as working on the rhomboids.  Standing or seated, lace your fingers with arms extended out in front of you chest.  Round your back and reach the arms forward and hold.  Next, release the arms, taking them out to the sides at shoulder height with your elbows bent at 90° like you're being held up!  With the forearms perpendicular to the ground, stretch the arms back and hold pulling the rhomboids back and opening the chest.  A great double-duty stretch!

Beach Volleyball

  • High stress spots:  glutes, hamstrings, calves
  • Key stretch:  seated or standing glute stretch
  • Sitting on a bench or chair, pull one foot across the opposite leg as high as you can comfortably, letting the knee flare out to the side.  Hinging from your hip, bend forward until you feel the stretch on the outside of the raised leg.  For the standing option, cross the leg and then bend the base knee like you're sitting in a chair.  You may need to hang on to something for balance.
  • For calves, stand with one foot forward and the other back and create a long diagonal line from that rear heel through the hip to the head.  Focus on pressing that heel into the ground.  You can also stand on a step and drop one heel downward but be careful NOT to overstretch as this can easily cause a stretch-reflex response and result in tighter muscles.

In-line Skating

  • High stress spots:  low back from leaning forward; quads, hips and glutes from the skating motion with the added weight of the boot
  • Key stretch:  seated glutes; low back; quads and hamstrings
  • Repeat some of the stretches above plus add hamstrings here.  Take one foot forward with the heel on the ground or raised on a step or bench.  Bend and sit on the back leg while hinging forward keeping the back long and strong until you feel that lengthening of the hamstring or back of the thigh.

Soccer

  • High stress spots:  low back, groin and inner thigh from dynamic running, twisting and kicking
  • Key stretch:  groin, IT band (iliotibial band) and piriformis
  • IT Band - stand with one foot crossed over the other.  Hinge forward from the hip and then shift the hips to the side of the back foot and hold.
  • Piriformis - lying down, cross one foot over the opposite leg letting that knee fall out to the side.  Grab behind the thigh of the bottom leg and gently pull in toward the chest and hold.  

Taking 3-10 minutes after activity will help to return muscles to their lengthened position and help prevent those aches and pains over the next couple of days - called delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS for short.   The more intense you workout, the more time you should spend.

An easy way to remember what to stretch is REVERSE POTURE.  Whatever you used most during your activity, stretch it in the opposite direction.  Also, many of our favourite sports and activities are very dominant on one side.  This contributes to muscle imbalance which can set you up to be more easily injured.  Thing of doing some swings or movements on that other side during warm up and cool down to promote a bit more balance.  

For more information on these stretches along with quick tutorial videos, visit www.libbynorris.com