Athletes and Active Adults

Peak Performance (information from Chiropractors Association of Australia)

Seeking peak performance, want a natural winning edge; need a little more balance or faster reaction times?  Are you simply getting in shape or competing at a high level? Part of any training regime should include periodic Chiropractic check ups of the spine.  Chiropractic may help athletes to prevent injury, keep them healthy and in top form.

Chiropractors offer support to many athletes at all sorts of levels of sporting events.  From local weekend team sports to elite level Olympians, athletes use Chiropractic to ensure peak performance. 

Here at Harman Family Chiropractic we are happy to give outside lectures on spinal health and care to your sporting club.  Please talk directly with Dr Sam and give as much notice as possible as these lectures are popular.

Chiropractic Peak Performance Tips

WARM UP: Before commencing any physical activity your body needs to be prepared. You need to warm-up the body parts that you are about to use. For running based activities this often consists of a light jog and some stretching. A few minutes are usually all that is required for lighter activities. For more strenuous activities a longer period of warming up including some light drills to rehearse the activities may be carried out. The warm up prepares your body both physically and neurologically for sporting activities.  A good warm up goes a long way toward reducing your risk of injury.

STRETCHING: This is one of the easiest ways to prevent injuries. The more flexible the muscles, tendons and ligaments being used, the harder it is to damage them and the less likelihood of post-game muscle soreness. Stretching should be done before and after the activity. It is important not to bounce on a stretch – instead hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. There are numerous types of stretches and Dr Sam can advise you of the best stretches for your particular activities.

TRAINING: “Practice makes perfect”. It also increases your ability to perform at your peak and to avoid injuries. The level of activity that you are involved in will determine how much training is needed. Many injuries occur when performing movements that the body is not accustomed to - training helps to “harden” the body against the stresses of that particular activity. When learning new activities it is wise to start by learning movements/techniques at a slower pace than they are normally performed at i.e. light drills to rehearse activities.  This reduces risk of injury and allows better perfection of a technique.

WEIGHT TRAINING: An excellent way to improve strength, tone and endurance in specific muscles and muscle groups - not just a way of making muscles get bigger! Adding this form of activity to your life can assist not only your power when performing an activity, but also help to develop balance and control. All adults (even seniors) can benefit. Weight bearing exercises are very good in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis.

REST AND RECOVERY: For you to perform at your peak, you need to give your body time to recover and process the exercise and strain that you have put your body through. Many well-prepared athletes today use what is called “active recovery”. This is where you are still using muscles and joints while recovering. For example a light swim the day after a tough game is actually more effective than having a “rest day”. It will help to prevent soreness by removing lactic acid and aids soft tissue repair by increasing circulation. Eating the right foods and re-hydrating properly are also an essential part of an athlete’s recovery.

CROSS-TRAINING: Using a variety of different exercise and recreational activities is actually more effective at improving fitness and well being than focusing on one form of activity. Don’t just play golf or bowls, play both. On your days off go for a 20-40 minute walk, instead of searching for yet another game. Don’t just jog five days a week – jog 2-3 days and swim or cycle on the other days!

NATURAL PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT: Dr Sam is an expert in the biomechanics of the body. Let her know what particular activities you are involved in to ensure she can help you to maximize preparation of your ‘moving parts’. Research has shown that athletes under chiropractic care have increased agility, balance, power and reaction time. Chiropractic helps to reduce any interference to your nervous system, which controls and coordinates every activity of your body. No wonder people who receive chiropractic care know what it is like to ‘perform at your peak’.

WALKING: Walking is a great pastime to maintain a basic level of activity.  Chiropractors recommend that you walk five days per week for at least 45 mins.  Before and after each walk it is important that you stretch the legs muscles for a few minutes.  

RUNNING:  For those people who would like the added benefit of a good cardio-vascular workout, running could be ideal. Running three times a week for a minimum of 12 minutes has profound benefit in not only your muscles but also on your heart and lungs. Before commencing a walking or running program it is essential to visit your local Chiropractor. During this check-up your Chiropractor will check your spine and posture for imbalances, which may lead to walking and running related injuries.

CYCLING:  Cycling is becoming more and more popular. Unfortunately many people have started cycling without proper guidance on injury prevention and peak performance. With the forward position of the head for some time in cycling it is essential that your spine be in correct alignment. This posture can accelerate any damage and complicate any misalignments. Your Chiropractor is an expert in the function of the spine and can advise you if this activity is safe, or if any problems need correcting first. 

SWIMMING:  Swimming is a wonderful way to give you a full body workout. In order to swim to your potential, your shoulders need to be well stretched and your spine needs to be in alignment. These two factors if not assessed carefully can lead to slower times and a marker increase in the risk of injury. Most of the power muscles used in swimming come off either the spine or the shoulders, which is why many of our top swimmers, triathletes and iron men and women use Chiropractors to help them perform at their peak.

GOLF:    Golf is all about control, patience, balance and the use of power. It is this reason why our top players rely on Chiropractors to give them the edge on the course. Your Chiropractor is an expert in the controlling and coordinating system of the body - the nervous system. If you have any interference to this coordinating system your game will be hampered. One of the major causes of abnormal control of the body during the golf swing is misalignment of the spine. These misalignments disturb the messages that tell the brain where the spine is and how it is moving. This leads to abnormal control and misdirected use of power.

AGILITY BALANCE, POWER AND REACTION TIME: Research shows that athletes under Chiropractic care had an increase in agility, balance, power and reaction time in a six-week period. Greater improvements were gained after twelve weeks of Chiropractic care.  This is due to abnormalities of the spine being corrected, which enables the body to perform as it was designed to.