Summer Sun, Will We Get Some?

With summer approaching, everyone is thinking the same thing, how much sun will we get in England? There are predictions for a hot summer with heat waves, so hopefully that is the case. This in mind, make sure you have topped up the supply of sun cream you have, keeping you safe from the rays we love. If there are moments of temporary forgetfulness and sunburn gets the better of your skin, have a try of aloe vera gelly, its been thoroughly recommended by many people to help sooth the burn. Properties of aloe vera help relieve pain and provide nutrients and vitamins to assist with the repair process of the skin.

Small Health Checks

Getting regular checks on your health is very beneficial and helps endlessly. Checking on what your weight is like can help with weight management, whether it be for weight gain or weight loss. It is also easy to find you Body Mass Index (BMI) from this. Your BMI indicates what weight range you fall in, whether it is a normal range or going to either extremes, which are morbidly obese or severely underweight. These extreme conditions can cause very serious health problems such as anorexia, and heart disease amongst others. If you know your height and weight and wish to know your BMI, just enquire at your  appointment. You may also wish to find out your body fat count or your hip to waist ratio, and what they mean for you.

Goal Setting in Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation after an injury is a frustrating time, especially for active individuals and athletes. The biggest problems is taking steps that are too big for the body to adjust to and further damaging the injury. This is why goal setting is so important in rehabilitation, with the final goal being a full return to the level of activity required before the injury occurred. The first thing to do is to have a thorough talk to a therapist on how serious the injury is and how long this injury will realistically take to overcome with proper rehabilitation. From there, a rehabilitation programme can be devised for the individual, so that the quickest return to exercise may be possible without the risk of re-injury to the individual. Lots of small, achievable targets help individuals as they are clear to see and show a clear link to the final goal. Without these small steps, the individual would only see the finish and try to reach it too quickly. You can use your stairs at home as an example. You would not be able to get to the top of your stairs in one jump. You must take each individual step, though occasionally you may be able to skip a step to get to the top. Psychologically it is much more rewarding for an injured individual to achieve each small step, as they will be more motivated to progress to the next step. When setting these small goals, you must consider a few things. They are how challenging the steps are and if they are realistically achievable. The programme must also be specific to the individual and the activity and exercise that they wish to perform. 

Summary

1. Make goals specific to the individual.

2. Set lots of small targets to get to the overall goal.

3. Make the goals achievable.

4. The targets should be realistic.

Enjoyment and fun is key to motivate individuals to achieve goals

Foot Care in Sport

Feet are a very important part of the anatomy, often neglected by athletes, leading to injury. Sometimes they are serious ones as well. The majority of sports are weight bearing sports, which means foot contact with the ground whilst performing. Good trainers are essential in preventing injuries. A good cushioning in the trainer will prevent problems with the heels and can also have implication with arch problems, such as flat feet. Getting the right size trainers is also essential. Blisters are always a concern when shoes do not fit. The small space left causes friction leading to the blisters. Feet swell with exercise so it is important to bear that in mind as normally well-fitted trainers will be small with exercise. This may also mean the individual curls their toes, which may lead to tight toe muscles. Nails should be regularly cut to prevent any broken toe nails from the movement of the foot against the end of the footwear. When washing make sure feet are dried thoroughly as many infections can develop, such as Athletes foot. This is a fungal infection which can be easily treated by products available at the chemist. Corns and calluses can also be problematic if not prevented or treated well. They are a build up of dead, hard skin in areas of increased pressure, maybe from weak footwear support or maybe due to direct pressure on the ground². Using a foot scrub after a bath or shower on any developing areas of hard skin will prevent corns and calluses developing. The skin will be of a yellowish nature and are predominantly found around the ball of the foot, which is below the joint of the hallux (big toe). These are just a few of the conditions that may arise from a lack of foot care. The feet may cause problems higher up in the skeleton and other tissues around it and the first area to be affected after the foot is usually the ankle, then the knee, and working around the body if not prevented and adjusted. If you are concerned with your feet and think there may be something wrong, check for your local podiatrist and enquire on whether an appointment may be of benefit to assess the concern at hand. 

Quick Facts!!!

“Pound for pound, bone is as strong as steel and 3 times stronger than the same amount of reinforced concrete.³”

“The skeleton makes up 15% of the bodies weight. Bones are made of half water and half solid matter.³”

“The solid matter in bones contain around 2 pounds of calcium and a pound of phosphorus, which is enough for 2000 matches!³”

 References

1. Arvinen-Barrow, M., Back to Basics: Using Goal Settings to Enhance Rehabilitation, SportEx Medicine, Issue 37 (July), pp. 15-19.

2. Barlow, A., Foot Care for Sport, SportEx Dynamics, Issue 20 (April), pp. 11-13.

3. Biel, A., Trail Guide to the Body, 3rd Edition, Books of Discover, London.