Winter is an ideal season for snow sports, such as skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and sledding. These activities are fun and healthy, but they can also be dangerous if you don’t take proper precautions.
Among the most common injuries that can occur during winter sports are tendinitis and inflammation. These injuries can be caused by repetitive movements, overexertion, or poor posture.
Here are some tips to prevent tendinitis and inflammation from winter sports:
1. Maintain Fitness
Physical preparation is key to reducing the risk of injury. Before starting winter sports, it is important to dedicate yourself to a training program aimed at strengthening the muscles and tendons of the legs, arms and trunk.
2. Warm up before you start
Warming up is important to prepare the body for physical activity and reduce the risk of injury. Before skiing, snowboarding, or any other winter sport, it’s important to engage in at least 15 minutes of light warm-up, such as running in place, dynamic stretching, or joint mobility exercises.
3. Wear protective gear
Protective gear, such as a helmet, goggles, gloves, and padding, can help prevent serious injuries, such as fractures and bruises. It is important to wear the right equipment and in good condition.
4. Practice Safely
It is important to follow the safety rules of winter sports and respect the weather conditions. If conditions are adverse, it is best to avoid skiing or other winter sports.
5. Listen to your body
If you feel pain, stop and rest. Do not continue to play sports if you feel pain, as this may make the injury worse.
In particular, to prevent tendinitis and inflammation, it is important to pay attention to the following factors:
The technique: Proper technique can help reduce stress on the tendons. It’s important to take lessons from a qualified instructor, especially if you’re a beginner.
Posture: Poor posture can increase the risk of injury. It is important to maintain proper posture when practicing winter sports.
Progression: It is important to gradually increase the intensity and duration of physical activity. If you start too early or too quickly, you may increase your risk of injury.
Exercises
Here are some stretching exercises you can do to prepare for winter sports:
Hamstring stretch: Standing, bend one leg forward and place your toe on the ground in front of you. Keep your back straight and lean forward until you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. Hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg.
Stretching your quadriceps muscles: Standing, place your hands on the wall in front of you and bend one leg so that it forms a 90-degree angle. Keep your back straight and push your pelvis forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh. Hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg.
Stretching the wrist flexor muscles: Standing, keep your hands in front of you with your palms facing up. Bend your wrists down until you feel a stretch at the top of your hands. Hold for 30 seconds.
Stretching the wrist extensor muscles: Standing, keep your hands in front of you with your palms facing down. Bend your wrists up until you feel a stretch at the bottom of your hands. Hold for 30 seconds.
Find these and other exercises in the Tepy pre-workout section. Follow these tips to prevent tendinitis and inflammation from winter sports and enjoy winter safely!