SPRING IS IN THE AIR FINALLY

Linda and Paul had that cabin fever that comes with a long Canadian winter. Not being able to get out into the yard and putter around can take its toll on one?s sanity. With the arrival of Spring or at least a few back to back days of good weather they were ready to begin that annual ritual, Spring cleanup around the yards.

When they opened the shed after that long winter pause out came the rakes,
shovels and other tools of yard maintenance. They almost raced each other to get started and begin to see the results of their labour. They spent the entire weekend working tirelessly toiling over the grounds.

Our office got the call first thing Monday morning. It was Linda who called. Paul was in trouble. After attempting to get out of bed he dropped to the floor like a stone. He couldn't walk, crawl, sit or stand. He was in trouble. Unfortunately Linda was not much better.

After almost 25 years into practice the storyline that you just read is not an isolated incident. As a matter of fact it is all too common with the changing seasons and the demands that we put on different muscle groups. Golfing is a different challenge than skiing and gardening uses different muscles than winter activities and unless you prepare you are opening yourself up to injury.

People tend to forget an essential ingredient. Warm up and prepare your body for activity! In general most people do not prepare themselves appropriately for activity. Take for example any professional sports person. Do you think for a single moment that they would enter their arena (whatever that may be) without warm up exercises? Well of course not!

So first you need to grasp the concept that it is of paramount importance for you to prepare yourself for the activities that you are about to undertake. Once you get the blood flowing to the muscles that you are going to be demanding use of, the less chance you will have of injuring yourself. So

S-T-R-E-T-C-H BEFORE YOU START!!!!!!!!

The text would be endless if I covered the specific exercises for Golf (will knock strokes off your game) or other activities so I will just cover the general warm-up for yard work as we are quickly approaching that season. Do each of the following warm-ups 5 times and hold each for about 15 seconds. Don't bounce, jerk or strain. It should be a gentle sustained stretch.

YOUR THIGHS
Lean against a tree or wall. Bend you right knee and grasp your ankle with your left hand. Repeat on the opposite side.

YOUR SHOULDERS
Let your arms hang loosely at your side. Rotate and roll your shoulders in a forward motion then reverse it to the back. Shrug you shoulders up to your ears and breathe out and let the shoulders relax. Additionally you can grab your left elbow in the crux of your right elbow and gently stretch. Repeat on the opposite side.

YOUR SIDES
Extend one hand over your head and reach for the sky with a gentle bend to the opposite side. Bend left from the waist and then right.

YOUR HAMSTRINGS
There are several ways to stretch your hamstrings. You can put your heel up on the second or third stair and gently stretch each side or you can bend over at the waist like you were going to touch your toes and hang. Do not bounce!

YOUR TORSO
Give yourself a big hug and then slowly rotate at the waist as far as you can from one side and then the other. Repeat 2-4 X?s.

YOUR BACK
A great general stretch for the back involves sitting in a chair with your knees apart. Bend forward from the hips and with your head down, reach for the ground. Hang while you feel your muscles stretch.

OVERALL CONDITIONING
For overall fitness a 30 minute brisk walk (can be broken up into 2-3 10-15 minute walks) at least 5 times per week should give your cardio-vascular a decent workout. Brisk is relative to your current conditioning. Remember that Human Race is only an expression
there is no race at all
it is the journey.

If you experience some tenderness or soreness the day after a workout this is not unusual. That being said back pain or muscle pain that persists more than 48 hours is your body's way of saying that something is not necessarily right. Listen to that little voice in the back of your head - it is usually very wise.

REMEMBER:

MIND, BODY & SOUL
In closing I would like to add a concept on a more serious note. Recently I had the opportunity to read Dr. Esther Konigsberg's chapter in her book Inspiring Breakthrough Secrets to Live Your Dreams. As a wellness based practitioner I have always believed that the MIND, BODY & SOUL all had to be nourished. The information provided in the book is sound advice and should be incorporated into any wellness regime. I encourage you to obtain a copy and utilize the information contained therein.

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