Page 122 - Tropic Magazine Issue 13

LIFESTYLE • SPORT

Warm up and
snow down

Words Megan Thomas

One of the things I love about owning
a small business is the opportunity
and scope to create new products
and services. (As I type this I can
hear a deep sigh from my marketing
coordinator…).
Recently I was sitting in a conference
room at a business marketing
workshop when I started thinking
about the end of our “winter” sport
season and the impending Far
Northern summer holiday season. Whilst we love ‘phyxing’ people’s With PhyxMe’s specific strength and
What do Cairns people love doing in injuries, I had the idea that it would conditioning program: Fit to Ski -
their summer holidays? Retreating into also be good to try and help prevent Strong to Board. In a previous Tropic
the air-con, immersing themselves in them. For the average person who column, I wrote about how important it
the backyard pool, or totally escaping exercises a couple of times a week, us for us to love what we do in our jobs.
the heat and heading to Japan to going on a skiing or snowboarding I love exercise and I love instructing
enjoy the wintery season of skiing and holiday without any preparation is people in exercise sessions, especially
snowboarding. a VERY BIG ask of your body. Think when I get to push them hard and get
Sadly, for our physios during the about it. When you’re over there, you’ll them puffing! (Now I’m hearing very
summer months of December, January be doing hours of intense, physically loud groans from all of my previous
and February, we only get to see demanding exercise EVERY DAY you fitness clients!). If you want to find out
the not-so-happy holiday endings. are at the snowfields. what I’m so excited about – I’ll see you
Whiplash, knee injuries, rolled ankles, So, after day one (if you managed to on the “slopes” in the PhyxMe Studio
broken wrists, collar bones and arms… stay injury-free) your legs are so sore this November!
to name just a few. Now that is a you can barely get out of bed in the
serious case of post-holiday blues. morning, your arms scream at you as MORE: Visit the Studio page at
you pull up your ski pants and don’t phyxme.com.au
even talk about how sore your bottom
is after the number of crashes you took
yesterday.
What’s the answer? Preparation.

tears so the muscle grows. DOMS is joints love to move! That’s what they
part of this process. DOMS can also be are designed to do. So, I would find
from lactic acid build up and simple a way to help you move your hip and
muscle fatigue from doing strenuous spinal joints in a pain-free way. I would
work. So, do you want less DOMS? also assist with releasing your tight
If your DOMS goes past 24-48 hours muscles, mobilising your stiff joints and
Ask a physio then the answer should be “yes”, giving you strengthening exercises to
which means you need to lift lighter counteract the twisted feeling you are
Megan Thomas from PhyxMe weights or exercise for less time and getting. Remember the song: “your hip
Physiotherapy is here to answer also cool down and eat and hydrate bones’ connected to your thigh bone…”?
your physio questions. appropriately after exercise. Well, everything is connected and there
are many ways we can help your hip
Jesse Elliott asks: What can you do Sigrid Hoffman asks: I’m in my mid- and everything it’s connected to. In
to reduce the level of DOMS (Delayed 60s and have hip dysplasia. While addition, the stronger your hip, spinal
Onset Muscle Soreness) after I wait for surgery, what can I do to and thigh muscles are before surgery,
exercise? prevent worsening pain and stiffness? the better your recovery will be.
MEGAN: Hi Jesse, I’m going to MEGAN: Sorry to hear about your hip
commence by asking you a question - issues Sigrid. In reading your basic Email Megan your physio question
how much DOMS is too much? I think description, I feel there is so much I to [email protected] and
it’s important to remember that part could do to help your body and pain check the next issue of Tropic for
of doing exercise is to get stronger levels in your potential lead up to her response.
muscles, which causes small muscle surgery. I always tell my patients:

122 • Tropic • Issue 14