As more and more of us realize the benefits of exercise and activity, it is imperative to participate and train safely. Although sports-related injuries are not totally preventable, taking relevant precautions can reduce their significance and/or severity.

Sports injuries are commonly associated with sudden breaking of bones, ripping of tendons or tearing of muscles but in non-contact sports most injuries come on gradually. An athlete s greatest strength can often be his greatest weakness. Their competitive streak that drives them to train excessively is their worst enemy when it comes to handling injuries. Injury avoidance should be as high a priority as increasing strength, gaining cardiovascular fitness or improving flexibility. The following are some

basic guidelines for reducing the probability of getting injured and are as relevant to the weekend warrior as they are to professional sportspeople.

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As we all know cycling is a great way to improve your overall cardiovascular fitness. However, what you may not know is that over time the demands of cycling can lead to muscular imbalances which can limit the body’s ability to perform at peak level and dramatically increase chance of both over-use injury and chronic pain.

To get a clearer idea of how these imbalances can occur we’ll take a look at the riding posture starting from the feet and moving up to the head:

Pedaling places a lot of stress on the calves. Tight calves can cause the feet to flatten and place undue stress on the heel cord, plantar fascia and knees. The major muscles

involved in cycling are the quadriceps. You can see that by looking at any professional cyclist. However, miles of cycling in the bent over cycling position can create tightness in the quadriceps and the psoas (hip flexors). These tight quads and hip flexors pull the pelvis out of optimal position into a forward tilt. This anterior tilt of the pelvis sets in motion a cascade of muscle imbalance. The forward tilt of the pelvis causes an increased arching of the lower back. This over loads the muscles of the lumbar spine while at the same time lengthens and weakens the abdominals. Another muscle group negatively affected by these dominant quads and hip flexors are the gluteals. The glutes are a major pelvic stabilizer and the main hip extensors of the body. Tightness and over-activation of their opposing hip flexors cause the glutes to become weak and under-active. In this situation, because the glutes cannot effectively extend the hip, the hamstrings must pick up the slack. As a result, the hamstrings get over worked and become tight.

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Golf fitness differs from traditional strength training. Golf fitness consists of exercises that are specific to the sport of golf and is especially designed to increase increasing your flexibility, strength, balance and endurance.

A smooth, fluid golf swing requires a high degree of flexibility. However, as the years take their toll on our bodies, staying flexible becomes more difficult. Exercises that increase flexibility are worth pursuing because there are lots of great reasons to stay flexible that don’t have anything to do with golf.

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If you really want to excel on the hills, you are going to need more than just a lot of practice. Strength training, flexibility and cardio exercises will all help you improve you re performance. As with any sport, strength training will help you build the muscles you need to get the most out of you re effort. The best exercises for snowboarding will improve you re body s core strength and flexibility. These exercises include, leg press, seated row, pull down, leg curls, leg extensions, calf raises and abdominal exercises. These are all exercises that will improve you re overall strength, which can help you get more control on the hill.

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The more time I spend every day trying to become the most effecient and qualified instructor that I can be,
I find more and more ‘franchise opportunities’ that ’sell’ what I work so hard to deliver. Is there a
dental franchise or liposuction franchise company that I can learn how to operate in a two week
long training school that I can attend? Then WHY are people trying to “sell” what I work hard to deliver?

Consider these…

- Are your physical capabilities tested prior to beginning?

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