The Ski season is upon us and for those intending to escape the inevitable London slush to catch some Christmas powder there are some great stretches that could stop you from stiffening up too much after a long day exercising on the slopes. If it has been a year since you last went skiing then you will certainly feel the muscle ache after the first day on the slopes. This is normal. It is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS occurs because of the sudden increase in demand on the muscles that are not accustomed to the load, resulting ….continue to the whole article

As the winter weather gradually rolls in, the last thing that you may feel like doing is putting ice on your body. When injured, however, this may be exactly what you need. The body’s first response to injury is inflammation. This is a natural and necessary response by the body to injury. It serves to remove any harmful bodies or dead tissue at the injury site. Importantly, it facilitates and activates tissue repair and it prevents further injury. Inflammation can, however, often be extremely painful and disproportionate to the degree of injury.  In these cases, it is desirable to ease ….continue to the whole article

Each physical activity carries its own set of commonly occurring injuries. This has given rise to a range of syndromes such as “runners knee”, “tennis elbow” and more recently, “x-box thumb”. Even gentle activities such as golf carry with them their own set of risk factors. Any golfer will tell you that low back pain is common place amongst players and this article will outline why it happens and what can be done to prevent it. One of the most common injuries in golf is a strained disc in the low back at the lumbo-sacral junction. The lumbo-scacral junction is ….continue to the whole article

The Autumn has arrived and everyone is returning to the normal everyday slog after the Summer holidays. The gym routine that was gladly abandoned for the month of August is resumed once again. For some people this may present an opportunity to undertake a new class or exercise group that you have been thinking about for a while. There are countless classes out there offering various ways to get into shape fast or lose weight. Think about what your goals are and how you like to train. Will you still want to go after the novelty of the class wears ….continue to the whole article

Shin splints is a generic term used to describe any pain felt between the knee and the ankle, but what exactly is it and how does it occur? True shin splints is caused by a pulling of the leg muscles on the shin bone. It is felt as a dull ache in the shin that becomes intense on running or walking but that is relieved by rest.  The shin is tender to touch but circulation is healthy and there is no muscle weakness, no pins and needles and no numbness in the leg. When the muscles of the calf and ….continue to the whole article

Every athlete knows what it feels like to get a muscle cramp. It is common knowledge that poor stretching plays an extremely important role in the development of cramps. What is less commonly understood are the other factors that predispose to the onset of one of these painful episodes. Cramping is not something that only affects more active people. In fact, cramping is extremely common in the elderly also and I will explain why. In order for a muscle to contract and relax a complex physiological process is undertaken at a cellular level. Much energy is required, importantly, during the ….continue to the whole article

Mid summer’s approaching and it’s Wimbledon season again. Many will be inspired to pick up a racket, blow off the cobwebs and call a mate to hit the courts. If it’s been a while since you played then it’s a good idea to take it easy in the first game to reduce the risk of injury. You’re muscles may not be ready for the sudden increased demand. Do a proper warm up by gently hitting a few balls against a wall before you play. Follow this with a few gentle pectoral stretches and forearm stretches. If it has been a ….continue to the whole article

We’re well into the annual get fit for the Summer season with some hitting the gym like crazy and others enjoying the good weather by heading out for long runs in the parks or running to and from work. Whatever your goal this season, don’t forget to look after yourself and stay injury free by gradually increasing your exercise load to allow your body to adapt to the new demands being placed upon it, listening to your body when it tells you to rest and most importantly by stretching regularly and effectively. One of the most common injuries I see, ….continue to the whole article