So now your hamstrings are in great shape from our previous blog  https://physio.je/816-2/, lets work round to the inner thigh/groin, to a group of essential muscles called the adductors.

Adduction
The movement of a limb or other part towards the midline of the body or towards another part. The opposite of abduction.

A groin strain is a relatively common injury, though, fortunately, there is some compelling evidence on how to prevent it with the addition of a simple exercise completed as part of your warm-up or gym routine. Traditional exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bridges also work the groin muscles but we can target them specifically. A Scandinavian study found a 40% reduction in groin injury following the exercise protocol in male players. Unfortunately, there is no research looking into the same protocol for females or adolescents though we can assume a certain amount of the benefit will be the same for different groups.

If at any point during or following the exercises you experience pain in your groin, please regress by one level for a few weeks then try to progress again when you’re feeling stronger.

So where do I start?
We would suggest starting with level 1 exercises…
Lying on your side with your top leg resting in front of you
Slowly lift your bottom leg off the ground as high as it can go then lower it back down.
Repeat on both sides.

*VIDEO*

When you feel strong with that exercise, progress to level 2. In a side plank position with a partner holding your top knee with both hands (or you can use the straps of a suspension trainer or bench in the gym).
Pushing down with the top leg to bridge your body up and bring your bottom leg to meet the top one.
Slowly lower back down & repeat on both sides.

*VIDEO*

Then when you feel great doing that version, progress to level 3! In a side plank position with a partner holding your knee and ankle (or using the straps of the suspension trainer or bench in the gym).
Pushing down with the top leg to bridge your body up and bring your bottom leg to meet the top one. Slowly lower back down & repeat on both sides.

*VIDEO*

Phew! We said the exercises were simple but they certainly aren’t easy!

With each exercise start with 3-5 repetitions on each side & build up to 12-15 repetitions on each side, 1 to 3 times per week. If you want to get really technical you can follow the sets and repetitions from the study

Don’t hesitate to contact if you’ve sustained an injury or want some advice. This is especially important if you’ve had more than one episode or longstanding groin pain as it can develop into a chronic issue if ignored- but we can help!

Happy exercising!

So how can I keep my hamstrings in good condition? 

If your hamstrings feel good right now, but you want to make them stronger & keep them happy– great!! You can skip ahead to the exercise plan. 

If your hamstrings feel a bit tight (especially if it’s only on one side) it shouldn’t be ignored as it may be a sign of a strain. Rest can help but it can also cause weakness which can lead to re-injury. It’s best to get proper advice- just ring us if you’re not sure!

Prevention is better than cure! Unfortunately, if you’ve strained your hamstrings before, you’re more likely to hurt them again- so avoiding injury in the first place is always the best option.

Make a plan

Have a training plan or routine which allows for recovery in between training.  

You’re more likely to injure your hamstrings while sprinting if you turn up to running or sports training with the tank half full because you did a heavy legs session the day before. Weekend warriors– great effort but cramming your training into 2 days and then doing nothing for the other 5 isn’t a great plan. See if you can spread it out a bit throughout the week by cycling to work or fitting in a run at lunchtime.

Here we give a few simple exercises that will help you keep those hamstrings happy.

Nordic hamstring curls 

We love these! A simple exercise that gives you a great bang for your buck.

Add 3 sets of 6 of these to your plan once per week and you’ll notice the difference- and the burn!!

Start here using resistance bands or an exercise ball for support.

Then after 6-12 weeks of these ones (or when your legs feel strong doing the supported version) progress to the hardcore option! The slower you move and the longer you hold the position without dropping to the floor, the harder the exercise is. 

These exercises are tough so so only attempt them if your hammies are feeling strong!

Maximise More

To really maximise hammy power, it’s best to work the hamstrings at both the knee AND hip. The Nordic curls work the knee well, but there are a few different options to work the hip and for this one, we’re leaving Norway & heading south for the Romanian deadlift (RDL).

The RDL is a hinge exercise and works a combination of hamstrings, glutes, and back. These can be done with just body weight for a nice hamstring warm-up, or with a kettlebell or barbell.

The key with these is to keep your back straight, hold your knees in position & hinge forward from the hips.

Single-leg RDLs work more balance than hamstring strength, but are a great way to increase flexibility;

Split stance RDLs and double leg RDLs allow you to add weight and really work the hamstrings;

Sprinting– and we mean full-speed sprinting at 100%! 

Nordic curls and Romanian deadlifts are both great exercises to work on, the best formula is to combine them with sprint training. Sprinting is great for preventing hamstring injury and may even improve your running speed- so it’s a win-win!! This is most important if you play a sport that requires you to reach top speed at any point. 

We recommend doing a few short sprints twice per week on fresh legs, maybe fit it into the warm-up before football training or as intervals during a training run. 

Our suggestion is…

   – head down to your local football pitch or mark out roughly 50 & 100 metres on the road
   – do a warm-up of a few 100m laps at a gentle jog (50% of your maximum speed)
   – then do a few 100m laps at a slightly quicker pace (60% of your max speed)
   – then do a few 50m laps at a quicker pace again (70% of your max speed)

*You might want to stop here if you’ve not run in a while & repeat this session a few times over a few weeks before progressing*

If you’re feeling good and have lots of energy at this point…
   – repeat 4 x 50m laps where you build the pace until you’re running at top speed

The aim is to get a few 50m top-speed sprints in your legs twice per week and keep this up throughout the season/year.

Make it a habit & stave off those pesky injuries!! 

So there you have it- the easy-peasy guide to super happy hammies! 

Blog Post by Fiona Robertson 
BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy MCSP

09/02/23

What is boom and bust, and how can it be avoided?

We have mentioned the boom-bust mistake you could make if you’re a weekend warrior or were overly enthusiastic about your health-related new year’s resolutions. So what is boom-bust & what’s wrong with it??

When we say boom-bust we mean drastically changing your fitness routine, way of life, or habit from what you were doing previously, only for it to go wrong and you give it all up again- whether that’s because of lack of dedication or succumbing to injury. If this happens it probably means you took on too much, too soon & overwhelmed your system.

Significantly changing your lifestyle and exercise regime can be exciting but can easily lead to injury from overloading soft tissues or joints, especially if there’s not enough rest or recovery between sessions. This loading is scientifically investigated by researchers who call it the acute to chronic workload ratio- acute workload being what session (or sessions) you do today, and chronic workload being the summation of these sessions over a week or month. There’s a sweet spot in the ratio which means you can gradually increase your training with much less risk of injury, though if you go under or over this sweet spot then you’re either not gaining anything from your training, or you’re at high risk of injury (boom) which halts your training & leaves you feeling dejected (bust).

We’ll go into more detail on the acute to chronic workload ratio in another blog post, showing how you can use it to train smarter and aim to avoid injury.

For now, we’ll say try to change one thing at a time and keep the changes gradual, here are some examples of how you can achieve this:

• Incorporate rest or recovery days between workout days; instead of doing a HIIT workout every morning swap two workouts per week for mobility, low-key yoga or meditation.
• If you’re new to running then try following the NHS Couch to 5K programme, an awesome way to get into running without biting off more than you can chew.
• Focus on active recovery- by this we mean taking the time to unwind & enjoy a hot bath, spending 10 minutes foam rolling or stretching any areas which have caught your attention, fitting in a power nap, or booking in that sports massage you’ve been meaning to have for the past year!
• Listen to your body- if you’re dragging your knuckles because you’re tired and feeling run down then maybe today’s the day to swap the cliffpath run you’d been planning for an easy stroll or light stretch. If there are any bodily areas that consistently get your attention then it’s probably worth booking in with a physiotherapist who’s experienced in assessing these issues and checking it’s not becoming something concerning.
• Keep a diary or log of what you’re planning to do, and then record what you’ve actually done. It’s easy to get carried away in the momentum & enthusiasm though if you’ve got a record of it, it will be easier to see where you’ve gone wrong and prevent it from happening again.

Hopefully, that’s given you some food for thought, be kind to yourself and your body and you never know what you’ll achieve!

What is the difference between a strain and a sprain? 🤔

You may think these terms are interchangeable though there is 1 big difference between them.

A sprain occurs in a ligament and a strain occurs in a muscle or tendon.

Ligaments join bone to bone, for example across the knee joint there is the MCL which connects the shin bone to the thigh bone.

Muscles attach to tendon, which attaches to bone.

There are exceptions to this rule, such as the patellar tendon… but this is a subject for another day!

Sprains and strains fall into 3 categories:

Grade 1 is a minor disruption which normally feels better within 2 weeks.

Grade 2 is a more serious disruption which takes between 2 weeks to 6 months.

Grade 3 is a complete tear which takes several months to heal or may require surgery.

Often you will feel good long before this but this is how long it can take for the tissues to heal.

With time, most sprains and strains will heal by themselves, but it is really important to get some advice from a physiotherapist who can help with how to manage these injuries.

We can ensure they heal properly so you can return to activity as soon as possible!

Help, I’m injured!

How long until I can play football/go skiing/paddle-boarding again?

When we’re injured, we just want to get back to our normal activity as soon as physically possible.

Sometimes it’s a minor issue and we get better within a couple of weeks, and other times it seems to take ages.

This can be because different tissues heal at different rates, muscles and ligaments can heal quite quickly whereas tendons, bones and nerves take a bit longer.

Lots of other things can affect healing too; like doing too much or not enough exercise, not getting enough sleep, dehydration, poor nutrition and general health status, so it’s very important to take care of yourself regardless of how small or large your injury is!

Get in touch if you have an injury you’d like to discuss

What is shin splints? 🤔

Shins splints is an umbrella term for exercise-induced pain in the shins.

It can cause sharp or dull pain along the shin or surrounding areas and can be tender to touch. Sometimes it warms up with movement and sometimes it worsens.

You may be familiar with terms like stress fracture, tibial stress syndrome or compartment syndrome, it’s our job to decide which one is at the root of the problem!

Shin splints is common in runners but can also happen to anyone active. It normally comes on following a change in running surface, in footwear, in mileage or sometimes it pops up for no good reason.

Having flat feet, a very high arch, stiffness in your calf muscles or very flexible hips can affect how your body absorbs force and can predispose you to suffer from shin splints.

In some cases, arranging a bone scan or MRI can be a good idea to exclude a more serious issue or stress fracture.

On a positive note, shin splints can respond well to treatment and all we need to do is work out what is causing the problem and how to fix it.

We’ll use a combination of taping, strengthening exercises, hands on treatment and managing your activity levels to combat the issue and make that marathon running goal a reality!

What can I do to prevent injury on the slopes?

Here’s some top tips on how to stay injury-free on the slopes & have an awesome ski holiday!

1) Skiers get your bindings checked regularly- remember to update your DIN settings, as you improve so your skis, stay on when you need them most, and pop off when you don’t

2) Warm-up for 5 minutes before heading on to the slopes – Click here for a handy video of some basic exercises to follow. The burpees are optional!

3) Beginner female skiers over the age of 20- reducing your suggested DIN settings by 15% can help to prevent knee injuries

4) Beginners don’t use the loops on your ski poles to avoid straining your thumb if you fall

5) If you have a history of knee complaints- wearing a knee brace underneath your salopettes can help to keep the knee stable and prevent re-injury

6) Boarders use wrist guards- they can reduce the chance of breaking your wrist by 50%

7) Wear a helmet! The evidence shows it decreases injury risk and also keeps your ears toasty on the chairlift!!

8) Take it easy on the apres-ski & don’t ski hard if you’re feeling fatigued better to have a rest/hot tub/massage in the afternoon and feel refreshed the next day!

What is a rotator cuff injury? 🤔

What is an ACL rupture? 🤔

Famous athletes who have sustained ACL injuries which had significant effects on their career include Michael Owen who did the damage in the first minute of the 2006 world cup game against Sweden, and Lindsey Vonn who rehabilitated her knee successfully to win a medal at the Winter Olympics following her second ACL rupture in the same knee!

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is one of 2 major ligaments inside your knee joint and it’s job is to keep your shin bone where it is, to stop it from sliding forward or twisting too much.