Good Technique Is Essential To Rehabilitation

If you are headed to the gym for a workout be sure to warm up before you get started and pay close attention to proper exercise form. Bad exercise technique and not warming up properly can lead to injuries.

Your warm up should consist of 5-10 minutes on the stationary bike, treadmill, or any other piece of cardio equipment. The goal of your warm up is to slightly elevate your body temperature and to increase the blood flow through your muscles. Once you are warm you should stretch your muscles following a thorough flexibility program. Warming up before you stretch is important because soft tissue flexibility is increased with temperature elevation. After you are warmed up and stretched out do not jump into using heavy weights. Light to moderate weights should be used for the first set of each exercise to further prepare your muscles for the force of the heavier weights.

Poor technique is usually the result of using too heavy of a weight, not using full range of motion during an exercise, or by recruiting the wrong muscles into an exercise. Proper mechanics during exercise is essential. Exercises should be performed through a full range of motion in order to develop strength through the full range and to maintain flexibility. Do not sacrifice technique to use heavier weight. If your goal is to improve your strength, try lowering your repetitions and increasing your sets on each exercise. Strength improvements are best seen with low repetitions of 4-8. Your strength will also improve if you allow greater rest between your sets, often a 2-3 minute break is required to recover from a heavy set. If you are happy with moderate strength improvements or just looking for a toning program then keep your repetitions between 10-15 and keep your breaks between 20-30 seconds.

Poor exercise technique usually ends up targeting the wrong muscles which can lead to muscle imbalance injuries. For instance, people often try to do exercises to strengthen their back but end up using their arms and shoulders. If this happens over a few months you may end up with underdeveloped back muscles and over-trained arms and shoulders. It is also important to avoid sloppy exercise technique. For instance, many people perform barbell curls and use their bodyweight to swing the barbell up to their chest and then drop the weight down to their legs. Your movements must be slow and controlled

An exception to the rule of proper exercise technique is when an injury prevents full, pain-free range of motion. In this case the exercise should be performed throughout the pain free range only and your physician should be contacted to be sure that you are not performing any contra-indicated exercises.

Karp Rehabilitation is an active rehabilitation program specializing with soft-tissue injury rehabilitation. For more information call 604.420.7800.

Excercise Can Reduce Blood Pressure

Physical inactivity, obesity, high sodium intake, low potassium intake, heavy alcohol consumption, high cholesterol and psychosocial stress have all been associated with high blood pressure. As exercise can help modify several of these factors, it can in turn help reduce hypertension.

Blood pressure is defined as the amount of pressure exerted by the blood on blood vessel walls as it moves through the vessel. There are two measurements taken when finding blood pressure: the systolic blood pressure (SBP), which is the highest pressure on the walls immediately after a single heartbeat and the diastolic blood pressure (DBP), which is the lowest pressure on the walls immediately before the heartbeat.

When a SBP 140 mm Hg and/or DBP 90 mm Hg it is known as hypertension. In practical terms, this means that the heart is doing extra work in order to pump blood through a persons body. If you have hypertension, you are at a greater risk for cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, heart failure, angina, renal failure, and myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Exercise training can lower both cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance at rest and at any given level of work. Lowered cardiac output is primarily due to reduced heart rate. All these help to reduce the amount of work needed for the heart to pump blood, thereby decreasing both resting SBP and DBP. Even exercises of moderate intensity can induce these beneficial changes.

The exercise recommendations for those with mild hypertension are generally the same as those for healthy adults. Endurance, or aerobic, exercises are shown to provide greater benefits and should normally be performed at a frequency of 3-5 days/week for a duration of 20-60 minutes at 60-85% of one¡¯s maximum heart rate. However, for those with severe hypertension or particularly elevated blood pressure, the intensity should be lowered to about 50-70% of ones maximum heart rate.

People with hypertension should exercise cautiously when performing all types of weight lifting. Lifting heavy weights occasionally inspires breath holding and an increase in intra-abdominal pressure resulting in a subsequent sharp rise in blood pressure. This is a dangerous activity for anyone, but is particularly so for someone whose blood pressure is already elevated. Therefore, perform all weight training activities with low weights and high repetitions and concentrate on even, regular breathing. Also, be sure to contact your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Karp Rehabilitation is an active rehabilitation program specializing with soft-tissue injury rehabilitation. For more information call 604.420.7800.

Functional Training Rehab

Functional training is fast becoming a popular alternative – and a fun addition – to traditional methods of weight training and exercise.

Although it is open to wide interpretation, it general involves performing exercises that mimic a movement in a sport or daily activity or a multi-joint movement designed to improve performance in a sport or daily activity. It is quite the opposite of bodybuilding, which generally involves isolated muscle fatigue. Whether you are a professional athlete, just beginning a workout regimen or simply looking for an interesting alternative to your regular routine, functional training offers many physical benefits, including improved neuromuscular coordination, speed, agility, endurance and balance.

Functional training has its roots in rehabilitation. When a person is injured and off work registered therapists often use functional exercises to help prepare the injured patient so they can return to work without re-injury. For instance, if a carpenter were off work they would perform exercises to simulate lifting, hammering and ladder climbing activities to prepare their bodies for a safe return to work.

A wood-chop using a medicine ball is a great functional exercise that simulates the movement involved in swinging an axe. It incorporates upper body, lower body and core muscles and it also increases your heart rate and improves your flexibility and range of motion. Because this exercise uses so many different muscles it can make everyday activities such as grocery shopping, cleaning and lifting much easier. It can also be used with athletes, such as a boxer or hockey player who want to improve their agility, balance and coordination. There are many great functional exercises that use a stability ball, wobble board, exercise tube or traditional dumbbells and pulley systems that can improve athletic performance.

Another benefit of this type of training is improved coordination between the muscular and nervous systems. When full-body coordinated movements are performed repeatedly, we are actually training our nervous system to send a signal to our brain before we even realize there is a need for a particular muscle contraction. For example, a snowboarder would benefit from engaging muscle groups in their entire body while balancing on an unstable environment, as their reflexes would naturally improve with increases in balance and stability; the body’s response to different physical environments becomes almost automatic as we subconsciously improve the communication between our nerves and muscles.

Functional training is also extremely beneficial to elderly people who experience difficulty with performing everyday activities, as it serves to strengthen core muscles while conditioning arms and legs, and translates improvements in functional strength to activities of daily living. As such, functional training improves quality of life and can be very liberating for individuals who have struggled with performing simple daily tasks.

Karp Rehabilitation is an active rehabilitation program specializing with soft-tissue injury rehabilitation. For more information call 604.420.7800.

Healthy Eating Facts

Today’s article includes a variety of health and fitness facts.

Here are some fit tips that answer commonly asked questions and also some important but not commonly known fitness facts. If you want to test out your health and fitness knowledge, read on!

- One tablespoon of olive oil has approximately 13 grams of fat and 120 calories.

- A healthy range for body-fat for men is 8-15%, women are healthy between 18-25%.

- Improving your hamstring flexibility and abdominal strength can reduce your lower back pain.

- One cup of peanuts has 830 calories and 70 grams of fat.

- Improving your posture can lead to reduced headaches.

- Egg whites have no fat but egg yolks have approximately five grams of fat in each one.

- Stability balls(a.k.a. Swiss Balls) were developed in Switzerland about 90 years ago, where they were predominantly used by physiotherapists.

- One avocado has the same calories as six apples.

- Your maximum heart rate can be determined by subtracting your age from 220.

- Plyometric exercises are good for athletes that want to improve their speed and acceleration.

- Regular exercise combined with healthy eating can lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.

- Sweating is one of your body\’s cooling mechanisms and is related to the relative humidity in the air, the greater the humidity the more you may sweat.

- Regular weight bearing exercises are good for osteoporosis prevention.

- Exercising in the morning can increase your metabolism causing you to burn more calories throughout the day.

- Stretching is an important part of an exercise program as it can prevent injuries, improve performance and reduce muscular soreness.

- Water cleanses your body of toxins and wastes and helps your liver convert fat into usable energy so be sure to drink at least eight cups of water a day.

- A “superset” is when you perform two sets back to back with no rest in between.

- The goal of your warm-up is to slightly elevate your body temperature and to increase the blood flow through your muscles.

Karp Rehabilitation is an active rehabilitation program specializing with soft-tissue injury rehabilitation. For more information call 604.420.7800.

Stretching Is Useful Rehabilitation

If you take a look around most fitness clubs you will notice that the majority of people perform strengthening exercises and cardiovascular exercises, but very few people stretch. In fact, some fitness clubs do not even have designated stretching areas. Stretching can prevent injuries, improve performance, reduce muscular soreness and it is a great stress reliever, so do not put it off any longer!

Your stretches should be performed after an initial 5-10 minute warm-up, which can be done on a stationary bike, treadmill, or you can go for a brisk walk. When stretching, hold each stretch for 15-60 seconds, applying a gradual stretch to each specific body part holding with a steady force. This form of stretching is called static stretching, it is the easiest and one of the safest methods of increasing flexibility.

Do not bounce when you stretch. Jerking and bouncing when you stretch is called ballistic stretching and was used a few decades ago but it is no longer recommended. The rapid increase in force can cause injury and it is less efficient than static stretching. Stretching techniques should be performed with careful attention to form in order to stay within the window of safety and effectiveness.

Increased flexibility minimizes your chances of pulling or tearing muscles. Poor flexibility can limit normal joint range of movement. Once this occurs your body can be forced to perform abnormal movement patterns which can place excessive force on your joints and muscles. This can lead to muscle imbalance injuries. Common problems related to poor flexibility are shoulder tendinitis, low back pain, and tension headaches.

Improved flexibility can also enhance your performance and reduce muscular soreness that is sometimes experienced after exercise. A flexible muscle reacts and contracts faster, and with more force, than a less flexible muscle. This can improve your overall performance. If you experience muscle soreness the day after you workout or if you can barely walk after a day of skiing, then stretching can help. If you stretch after the strengthening component of your workout, or leisure activity, you will not be as sore the next day.

Stretching can be performed effectively in only 5 to 10 minutes and can be done at home, in a gym, and some stretches can even be performed at work. So, if you are exercising and not stretching remember that it is important to stretch all the major muscle groups as part of a balanced exercise routine.

Karp Rehabilitation is an active rehabilitation program specializing with soft-tissue injury rehabilitation. For more information call 604.420.7800.

Golf Injury Rehabilitation – Part 2

This is the second of our two part series designed to prevent those nagging golf injuries.

Last week we outlined the basics of flexibility and cardiovascular exercise. This week we are introducing essential strengthening exercises that will provide you with the stability, balance and strength you need to remain injury free this golf season. Before you start, be sure to perform a 5-10 minute warm up and follow the exercises outlined last week.

1. Dumbbell Presses With a Stability Ball

The stability ball is a great addition to your golf workout because as you perform your strengthening exercises the trunk musculature is simultaneously working to balance and stabilize the body. Exercising with a stability ball also demands concentration, which is important when playing a game requiring mental focus, such as golf.

To begin this exercise lie flat with your back on a stability ball and your knees bent at right angles and your feet flat on the floor. Start by holding one dumbbell in each hand with the dumbbells positioned beside your shoulders and slightly above your body. Press the dumbbells up above your chest until your arms are almost straight, bringing them together at the top. Slowly return to the starting position. Use a weight that allows you to perform three sets of 10-15 repetitions. You can take a 20-60 second break between each set depending on your comfort level.

2. Rubber Band Rotator Cuff

This exercise is designed to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder, which helps stabilize the shoulder joint to prevent shoulder injuries and provide a more consistent golf swing.

Standing with good posture, hold your rubber band a little narrower than shoulder width with your elbows beside your waist at approximately a 90-degree angle. Keep your elbows stationary and slowly rotate your hands outward as far as you can. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat for three sets of 10-20 repetitions depending on your comfort level. The exercise should be felt deep in your shoulders. You can take a 20-60 second break between each set.

3. Oblique Abdominal Crunches

If you have a nagging lower back injury, strengthening your abdominals can help to reduce the discomfort you feel when golfing. Strengthening your abdominals can also help to stabilize your trunk muscles helping to keep your body in proper alignment.

Start this exercise by lying flat with your back on the floor. Bend your left leg and place your right ankle on your left knee. Once you are in this position cross your arms over your chest or place your arms beside your head for greater difficulty. Slowly contract your abdominal muscles to raise your shoulder blades off the floor bringing your left shoulder towards your right knee. Make sure to keep your head in line with your body and do not tense your neck or press your chin to your chest. (Hint: keeping your eyes on a spot high on the wall may help you maintain the right position.) You should feel your stomach area, not your neck or lower back. Briefly hold this position then slowly lower yourself back down to the floor. Do 10-12 repetitions to each knee and repeat three times. You can take a 20-60 second break between each set depending on your comfort level.

As the weather improves and you head out onto the golf course remembering these exercises and stretches can help reduce ongoing pain, decrease the chances of new injuries and help your game.

Karp Rehabilitation is an active rehabilitation program specializing with soft-tissue injury rehabilitation. For more information call 604.420.7800.

Golf Injury Rehabilitation – Part 1

As every sport is unique, it is important to have a fitness routine that concentrates on developing the muscles most used in your specific sport. For golfers, the muscle groups that need concentration are the shoulders, the stabilizers of the trunk, and the lower limbs that provide stabilization and alignment. Most sports injuries occur as a result of overusing the muscles most involved in the game; in golf these muscles are the lower back, wrists, shoulders and elbows. Over the next two weeks, we will introduce a balanced exercise routine designed to assist in the recovery of these injuries and to prevent new injuries.

This week’s issue consists of two important training principles: cardiovascular exercise and flexibility.

Cardiovascular exercise is essential for playing 36 holes without undue fatigue, while flexibility is required to achieve full range of motion in your swing and to avoid poor alignment of the spine and pelvic girdle which often leads to lower back problems.

Cardiovascular Exercise (20 minutes)

The cardiovascular component of your workout can be done on any piece of cardio equipment you choose or through any outdoor activity that you enjoy. An important training principle to apply while participating in a cardiovascular workout is ensuring that you are working in your target heart rate range. Your target heart rate range can be calculated by subtracting your age from 220 and multiplying that value by 0.6 and 0.8 for the lower and upper ends of the range respectively. For example, a 35-year-old individual would have a target heart rate range of 111-148 beats per minute. Many newer pieces of cardiovascular equipment have built-in heart rate monitors for quick and easy heart rate monitoring.

Stretching (10 minutes)

Stretching is a crucial, and all too often neglected, component of a balanced exercise routine. Stretching does not only increase your flexibility and minimize your chances of pulling or tearing muscles, but it also increases performance. A flexible muscle reacts and contracts faster and with more force than a less flexible muscle, thereby improving your performance.

Your stretches should be performed after you are warmed up and should be held a minimum of 15-30 seconds and as long as 60 seconds. Your stretching routine should include the three following stretches:

1.Upper Pec/Pec Major

Face through a doorway with your arms flush against the frame. Apply a gentle force pushing your body through the doorway. Remember to keep good body posture and to keep your stomach tight so you do not over extend your back. The stretch should be felt across the chest muscles.

2.Latissimus Dorsi/Back Extensors

While kneeling on a mat, stretch your arms forward in front of your head with your palms down. The key to this stretch is to keep your gluteal muscles in contact with your heels and your arms stretched out as far as possible. You should feel this stretch through the middle and outer part of your back and down into your lower back.

3.Rotation Low Back Stretch

Lie flat on your back on an exercise mat or blanket. Bend your legs to a ninety-degree angle and keep your feet flat on the floor. With your arms out to the side and your shoulders flat on the floor roll both of your knees together down to the floor. A gentle stretch should be felt in the lower back. Hold for 15 to 60 seconds and repeat on the opposite side.

During this first week your goal is to train three times (ex. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) for 30 minutes following the exercises detailed above. Good luck and we will see you next week with some new strengthening exercises to further improve your golf game. Be sure to contact your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Karp Rehabilitation is an active rehabilitation program specializing with soft-tissue injury rehabilitation. For more information call 604.420.7800.

Core Strength Can Improve Your Mountain Biking Performance

If you are looking to improve your cycling performance you need more than just strong legs. While a strong lower body is essential for power, as you begin to ride longer, more challenging trails, you will soon realize the importance of also having strong back and core muscles. A weak back and mid-section will limit your stability, balance and control on your bike. There are two sport-specific exercises included here that you can use as a starting point to provide you with the edge you are looking for.

Seated Cable Row

Grasp the handles and place your feet against the stop bar at the end of the machine seat toward the pulley, and sit down on the seat. Your legs should be slightly bent throughout the set to keep stress off the lower back. Straighten your arms completely and lean toward the pulley, to stretch your lats. Sit erect and pull the handle toward your lower ribcage, being sure to keep your elbows in close to your sides. As the handles touch your lower ribcage, pull your shoulders back and contract your upper and mid back muscles. Slowly reverse the movement and return to the starting position. Perform two to three sets of 12-15 repetitions with comfortable weight.

Stability Ball Prone Knee Tucks

When using a stability ball, you must make sure the ball is the correct size for you. To determine this, sit on the ball with your feet shoulder width apart. If your knees are at a 90-degree angle the ball is the right size for you and you are ready to start. To perform a Prone Knee Tuck, start on the floor on your hands and knees with the stability ball behind your body. Keeping your arms straight, carefully place your legs onto the ball, one at a time, and support your body with your arms. Keeping your back straight, roll the ball towards your torso by bringing your knees towards your chest. Once in this position, in a slow and controlled manner, return to the starting position. Perform two to three sets of eight to twenty repetitions depending on your comfort level.

These exercises are designed to improve the strength of your upper and lower back along with your core stabilization muscles, which are located around your trunk. They can be performed two to three times each week and can be a great addition to your regular workout routine. Be sure to contact your doctor before starting an exercise program. Good luck on the trails and enjoy the rest of the biking season!

Karp Rehabilitation is an active rehabilitation program specializing with soft-tissue injury rehabilitation. For more information call 604.420.7800.

Common Time-Wasters

Finding the time to exercise while balancing a career, family, school and other demands can be difficult. Many of us deal with this dilemma by using time management techniques. We purchase day planners, prioritize, organize, delegate and make lists, all in an effort to fit in that workout.

Too often this struggle ends up as wasted effort. I\’ve noticed that many people who are skilled time managers outside the gym are very unproductive when they train. They work diligently to manage their time to get to the gym, but once they arrive, they start wasting time! Just as you pay attention to how you manage your time at work or in school, you must also effectively manage your workout time.

Before you perform any exercise be sure that you are using correct technique, exercising improperly is the biggest factor in not spending your time wisely. If you are unsure about proper form on an exercise ask a staff member at the gym or utilize the services of a personal trainer. Resting too long between your sets or doing too much in one day can also slow down your progress. Resting too long takes away from the effectiveness of your exercises. The rest between your sets depends on your goals and fitness level, however, if you are looking to tone up a little then try resting 20-45 seconds. Doing too much in one day is also ineffective. Most people only need to perform two to six sets on each body part. Any more than that is a waste of time as the increased work will usually provide minimal benefits.

Excessive socializing can also make your workouts ineffective. Examples include flirting, long conversations between sets and, yes, talking on a cell phone. Working out is recreation and should be enjoyable, just be sure to not let this take over your workout.

Standing around can also be a time waster. This includes waiting for a machine instead of going to a different machine. If you are planning on doing a specific machine such as the leg press and it is being used, be prepared to do another comparable exercise such as lunges. Waiting for a training partner can also be a big waste of time. If you are supposed to meet at a specific time and your partner does not show up, start anyway!

Arriving unprepared can also prevent you from making good use of your training time. I have seen many people show up to the gym without their training bag-no shoes, no shorts, no workout…. Not pre-planning your workout can also end up being a waste of time. It is a good idea to arrive knowing what your workout goals are, that will save any difficult decision making or prevent any procrastination once you get to the gym.

Following these time saving guidelines will improve your workout productivity, improve your focus and reduce your overall stress.

Karp Rehabilitation is an active rehabilitation program specializing with soft-tissue injury rehabilitation. For more information call 604.420.7800.

Jobs Demands Analysis

A Job Demand Analysis identifies the physical demand of an occupation. The Job Demands Analysis is often times a requirement of Insurance companies as well as employers.

-What are the essential duties and physical demands of an occupation?

-What are the potential ways to eliminate or control risks that may be identified?

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