Rhode Island’s Waterman Eco-Challenge is no easy feat, but you’ve trained hard and you’re ready – bring it on! Before you dive in, take a quick look at these injury prevention tips that can help you race to the finish without harm.
Swimming
What causes swim injuries? Many swimming injuries are caused by overuse, along with fatigue and failure to use proper stroke technique. Slight injuries and micro-trauma can cause shoulders to become unstable and lead to shoulder pain, rotator cuff tears, and tendinitis. Shoulder impingement syndrome is a result of pressure on the rotator cuff muscles from part of the shoulder blade when the arm is lifted overhead. Other repetitive injuries include inner knee problems and hip problems from breaststroke kicking, and back injuries from dolphin kicks or dry-land cross-training.
Injury Prevention
Take part in a strength training and stretching program and ensure good range of motion.
Perform core strengthening and cross-training exercises as part of pre- and early-season routines.
Be sure to warm up before a workout.
Incorporate core strength and stability exercises into your training.
Use good stroke technique:
Freestyle: When breathing, keep your head in line with your body to avoid neck pain or numbness and tingling in the arms. Rotate the body toward the breathing side to avoid turning the neck too far and over-reaching with your arms. Breathe equally to both sides to prevent excess stress on one side of the neck.
Backstroke: Weak muscles in the front of the neck will tire more quickly than strong ones, resulting in neck soreness with increased laps. Beginners should gradually increase both distance and intensity. Rotating your body properly with each stroke will help decrease stress on the neck and shoulders.
Breaststroke: Keep your head in line with your body to avoid increased stress on the neck. Strong thigh and hip muscles will make for a stronger kick and a faster swim. Leg strength will also help decrease the stress and strain placed on the knees as swimming distance increases.
Butterfly: Proper timing of this stroke decreases the possibility of neck, shoulder, or back pain. Focus on a strong kick and upper body to aid in body position, as well as breathing.
If you have an overuse injury, lessen the repetitive strokes that are causing it.
Consider alternative training techniques rather than training through an injury.
Use periods of rest to recover.
Speak with a sports medicine professional or athletic trainer if you have any concerns about injuries or prevention strategies.
Paddleboarding
What causes paddleboard injuries? Fatigue plays a role, as endurance paddling and racing account for the majority of paddleboard injuries, mostly in the shoulder, upper arm and lower back. Overuse injuries and strains are common and include mostly the muscles of the shoulder and/or rotator cuff muscles, the knee joint, foot and ankle and low back. The lower back is key for paddling as it helps stabilize the core and keeps you upright. And like swimming, shoulder impingement can be an issue from lifting your arm above your head frequently. However, the second most common injury is due to contact with the rider’s own board, such as bruises and fin lacerations to the extremities. Board leashes can cause sprains to fingers and other body parts from wrapping around you after a heavy wave wipe out.
Injury Prevention
Incorporate core strength and stability exercises into your training.
Warm up before each session; paddle lightly 5-10 minutes before you go all out.
Make sure you have the proper paddle length to avoid irritating your shoulder.
Choose the right type of board. Balance is key and typically, the longer and wider it is, the more stable it is.
Work toward an efficient, fluid stroke and proper paddle technique. An experienced instructor can help.
Don’t white-knuckle your paddle; that puts unnecessary pressure on your forearms, wrists and elbows. Keep a loose grip in both top and bottom hands.
Use your torso to increase your reach, not your arms. Rotating your torso and stacking your shoulders as you initiate your stroke engages the larger, more powerful muscles of your hips and core to power through the water. This lets your bigger muscles do the majority of the work, instead of your smaller arm muscles. If you do not rotate, and/or reach too far forward when paddling, you are most likely relying solely on your arm muscles, which can fatigue you quickly and make you more susceptible to injury.
Make sure you’re pushing as well as pulling: As your paddle enters the water, push with your top hand as hard as you are pulling with your bottom arm. Think about pulling yourself TO the paddle, rather than pulling the paddle toward you. Plant your paddle, rotate your hips and power toward the paddle.
To reduce chance of shoulder impingement, keep your elbow below shoulder height while paddling.
Resist flexing forward during your stroke to avoid injury. Flexion of the lumbar spine combined with twisting is the most common route to a disc injury.
Maintain good form when fatigued. That’s hard at the end of a long race, but it will be easier if you have strengthened the muscles that stabilize the shoulder to hold your form.
Listen to your body and don’t overtrain if you’re tired.
If you have any pain or soreness for more than 48 hours, seek medical attention. The experts at Ortho RI can help make a proper diagnosis and treat any sports injury to prevent serious long-term effects. Good luck in the race!
