Shoes, sunshine and exercise for preventing injuries…

Our bodies have extraordinary abilities to do all sorts of different activities and more often than not, we push them to their maximum capacity. And not just through sports. In fact, more injuries are caused from lifestyle or work-related reasons than from sports-related ones. A sedentary lifestyle or a cramped workspace can be as detrimental, if not more so, than having a fall on the ski hill.

Chronic injuries are dangerous because they creep up on you unsuspectingly.

In fact, you may be in the onset stages of some type of chronic injury right now! Injuries such as tendonitis or lower back pain occur gradually and are usually caused by repetitive actions you might be performing at home or in the work place. Continual lifting of awkward or heavy objects, typing, or pounding in nail after nail, are progressively putting wear and tear on your body. With all of these risks of injury around us, what can we do to prevent the injuries from happening in the first place?

First things first: What position is your body in right now as you read this article? Is your back hunched over? Are you slouching in your chair? Good posture is a critical component in the prevention of injuries. Poor posture comes from poor core muscle strength. If the central core of your body is weak, the rest of your body will hover around it in the form of a hunched back and a poke neck. If your core is strong, your body will radiate outward and you will be able to hold yourself up with ease and grace. Posture should be something you are aware of at all times – whether you’re walking, doing work on the computer, making a meal, or skiing down the slopes.

Of course, exercise and a proper diet are absolutely fundamental in preventing injuries. Poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle can make our bones vulnerable to deterioration. A combination of deficiencies in calcium and Vitamin D and lack of exercise pave the road towards osteoporosis – frail, brittle bones. In severe cases of osteoporosis, a person will have a very difficult time getting out of a chair. Preventing osteoporosis isn’t something you start thinking you’ll do when you’re “older.” In fact, proper management of osteoporosis prevention should begin in childhood and adolescence when peak bone mass is being developed. With regular exercise, we can prevent our bones from losing mass and hence, carry ourselves into older age with strong healthy bones instead of weak, fragile ones. At any age, sunshine, exercise and a well- balanced diet are key factors in promoting longevity of life.

Footwear is another essential aspect of preventing injuries but so many of us take our poor feet for granted. The miles we put on with our feet when we exercise -- and yet we make them suffer. If our running shoes were replaced on a continual basis, we would probably experience less knee alignment problems, sore hips and lower backs. A combination of poor posture and poor footwear, translates into bad walking habits and the onset of numerous chronic injuries. Are your feet comfortable and supportive?

Tip for the week:

Get out and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air as much as you can. Sunshine on your skin causes your body to produce its own Vitamin D, which will aid you in keeping strong healthy bones.