We are registered with all major health insurers including Bupa, PPP and Standard life.
SERIOUS ABOUT SKIING
Heading for the snow this winter? Is your body up to the challenge? Chris West heads the clinical team at Harrow and Northwood and, as a keen skier and specialist sports physiotherapist, he has first-hand experience of the havoc that poor preparation and over ambition can bring. Although recently the number of skiing and snowboarding injuries has reduced, it is estimated that 1 in 10 skiers suffers an injury on the first day, with the risk increasing throughout the holiday as stiffness and fatigue set in.
Chris says, 'for most people skiing is a sport enjoyed once a year. Most individuals are poorly conditioned prior to their skiing activity and often pay the price of sore muscles or, even worse, injury. If people were prepared to put in the groundwork before hitting the slopes and set themselves achievable goals, fewer holidays would be ruined by breaks, sprains and strains.
The good news is that these risks can be reduced. Prior to leaving for your ski or snowboarding holiday, consider having specific screening for pre-existing problems or weakness can identify potential high-risk areas. Once potential problems have been identified, a specific exercise programme can be designed to tackle them. Anatomie Physiotherapy offers this specialist screening service, for more information, contact Chris West here.
fit to go
Here are some tips to help you get started and to hopefully help prevent injury and maximize your enjoyment on the slopes:
1. Strengthening. Start your pre-ski training at least six to eight weeks before your holiday; you can't rely on getting fit once you're there. Your fitness regime should include skiing and snowboarding specific exercises, but also other activities such as stair climbing, running or cycling. Aim for at least two to three sessions per week working on the muscles specific to skiing (like thighs, backside, core stabilisers and triceps) and this will reduce the risk of injury and increase your enjoyment and endurance on the slopes.
2. Check your binding and equipment. Inadequate release of the ski bindings has been implicated as a cause of lower-limb injuries in skiing. The quality of the binding, the condition of the equipment and incorrect settings can influence the ability of the binding to release. Make sure that your settings are checked by a professional to cut the risk of severe lower-limb injuries by an estimated 15%. For more information on binding settings, contact Chris West here.
3. Warm up. Before putting on your gear, warm up and stretch the thigh, calf and arm muscles. A short walk of 10-20 minutes will increase blood flow to the muscles, increasing their flexibility. Start each day on the slopes with some easy runs to loosen up and do this after each rest break as well.
4. Avoid injury. Most recreational skiing injuries happen on the second afternoon of a holiday. This is when your body in not at 'skiing fitness' and is tried because of the new levels of exercise. Again the risk of injury is greatest before lunch and late afternoon when fatigue begins to set in. Throughout the day you should regularly take fluids and replenish used energy. If you are tired, stop skiing and rest. Remember - always ski in control.
5. P.R.I.C.E for injury. If you are unlucky enough to sustain an injury, immediately follow the P.R.I.C.E principles:
Protection - use strapping or a support for comfort and to protect the area
Rest - rest the injured area
Ice - apply ice packs for 10 minutes every hour
Compress - use tubigrip or a compression bandage to help reduce the swelling - but not too tight! Check toes and fingers regularly for colour and temperature, remove the compression
dressing at night.
Elevate - elevate or raise the injured part, ideally above the heart to help disperse swelling
Disclaimer & Copyright
Heading for the snow this winter? Is your body up to the challenge? Chris West heads the clinical team at Harrow and Northwood and, as a keen skier and specialist sports physiotherapist, he has first-hand experience of the havoc that poor preparation and over ambition can bring. Although recently the number of skiing and snowboarding injuries has reduced, it is estimated that 1 in 10 skiers suffers an injury on the first day, with the risk increasing throughout the holiday as stiffness and fatigue set in.
Chris says, 'for most people skiing is a sport enjoyed once a year. Most individuals are poorly conditioned prior to their skiing activity and often pay the price of sore muscles or, even worse, injury. If people were prepared to put in the groundwork before hitting the slopes and set themselves achievable goals, fewer holidays would be ruined by breaks, sprains and strains.
The good news is that these risks can be reduced. Prior to leaving for your ski or snowboarding holiday, consider having specific screening for pre-existing problems or weakness can identify potential high-risk areas. Once potential problems have been identified, a specific exercise programme can be designed to tackle them. Anatomie Physiotherapy offers this specialist screening service, for more information, contact Chris West here.
fit to go
Here are some tips to help you get started and to hopefully help prevent injury and maximize your enjoyment on the slopes:
1. Strengthening. Start your pre-ski training at least six to eight weeks before your holiday; you can't rely on getting fit once you're there. Your fitness regime should include skiing and snowboarding specific exercises, but also other activities such as stair climbing, running or cycling. Aim for at least two to three sessions per week working on the muscles specific to skiing (like thighs, backside, core stabilisers and triceps) and this will reduce the risk of injury and increase your enjoyment and endurance on the slopes.
2. Check your binding and equipment. Inadequate release of the ski bindings has been implicated as a cause of lower-limb injuries in skiing. The quality of the binding, the condition of the equipment and incorrect settings can influence the ability of the binding to release. Make sure that your settings are checked by a professional to cut the risk of severe lower-limb injuries by an estimated 15%. For more information on binding settings, contact Chris West here.
3. Warm up. Before putting on your gear, warm up and stretch the thigh, calf and arm muscles. A short walk of 10-20 minutes will increase blood flow to the muscles, increasing their flexibility. Start each day on the slopes with some easy runs to loosen up and do this after each rest break as well.
4. Avoid injury. Most recreational skiing injuries happen on the second afternoon of a holiday. This is when your body in not at 'skiing fitness' and is tried because of the new levels of exercise. Again the risk of injury is greatest before lunch and late afternoon when fatigue begins to set in. Throughout the day you should regularly take fluids and replenish used energy. If you are tired, stop skiing and rest. Remember - always ski in control.
5. P.R.I.C.E for injury. If you are unlucky enough to sustain an injury, immediately follow the P.R.I.C.E principles:
Protection - use strapping or a support for comfort and to protect the area
Rest - rest the injured area
Ice - apply ice packs for 10 minutes every hour
Compress - use tubigrip or a compression bandage to help reduce the swelling - but not too tight! Check toes and fingers regularly for colour and temperature, remove the compression
dressing at night.
Elevate - elevate or raise the injured part, ideally above the heart to help disperse swelling
Disclaimer & Copyright
HOME...............PRIMARY CARE & NHS...............PUBLISHED ARTICLES...............JOIN OUR TEAM...............eNEWS...............CONTACT US