Sports Chiropractic Tips: How To Warm Up For Cold-weather Sports

Chiropractic doctors tell us winter activities, including snowboarding, sledding and skiing, can cause intense injuries, particularly if a person fails to do the proper warm-up exercises. Sprains and strains are more likely to occur in chilly conditions, partially because flexibility is decreased when muscles are cold. Moreover, muscles in your legs and arms are less responsive in cold weather, due to decreased circulation. And less-responsive limbs are less equipped to respond to unexpected situations.

No wonder Olympic gold medalist Derek Parra has called not warming up "the best way to get hurt." To avert the need for sports injury treatment, Parra suggests a 15- or 20-minute warm-up - even if that means your overall workout is shorter as a result.

Health experts, including chiropractic doctors, encourage athletes to perform the exercises listed below to prepare their bodies for cold weather sports.

Chiropractic Way to Make Space in the Spine

Activities like sledding can cause back pain, as the spine is compacted by bumpy ice and snow. To prevent back pain, open up the space between the vertebrae by lying on your back and bringing your knees to your chest.

Loosen Up the Legs

In standing sports such as snowboarding, skiing and skating, the legs support the body. If they are not properly warmed up, injury can occur. Lunges are a great way to prepare the legs for winter activities. From standing, step forward 2-3 feet with your right leg. Hold with the right knee over the right ankle, and then bend the back knee. Return to your starting point, and repeat on the other side. Begin with 10-15 lunges on each leg.

Likewise, doing 10-15 squats is a great way to warm up for a day on the slopes. Begin standing, with your feet about hip-distance apart. If you experience low-back pain, stand with your back against a wall. Next, lower down as you would if you were about to sit in a chair. Keep your core engaged and your spine long. Challenge yourself to sit low enough that your thighs are parallel to the earth.

Strengthen the Core Muscles

Good balance depends on the strength of the muscles along the torso. Those with well-developed core muscles are better able defend themselves against falls.

Plank is a quick yet challenging core work out. Start by keeping your body at the top of a pushup for thirty seconds. Move to forty-five and then sixty seconds as you become stronger. Avoid allowing your hips to dip or lift higher than the rest of your form.

Russian twists build core muscles on all sides of the torso. Begin lying on your back down with your knees pointing toward the sky. On an exhale, lift the shoulder blades of the ground and twist your right elbow toward your left knee. Keep your spine as long as possible. Return to center as you inhale, and with your next exhale, twist left. Start with 15 reps, and add on from there.

If you feel sore after winter sports, chiropractic treatments could be the solution. Chiropractic doctors relieve spinal subluxations (i.e., compressions). Free of subluxations, the body is empowered to heal itself, since the nervous system works better when the channels of the spine are clear. In this way, chiropractic doctors can provide post-sports injury treatment.

By: Janet H. Parks

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A downfall of playing sports is the many injuries that often accompany them. Fortunately chiropractic doctors can treat many of the ailments athletes face. Read to learn more about these treatments at www.MississippiChiropractic.com.