Warming Up, Cooling Down and Joint Mobilisation

Transcription

1 Warming Up, Cooling Down and Joint Mobilisation Introduction Climbing can be a very unforgiving sport in physical terms. The stresses and risk of injury for joints, tendons and muscles are increased dramatically without appropriate and sufficient preparation. Muscles tire more slowly and perform better when kept warm. The three key components which will ensure a complete and effective warm up are: The general warm up; Joint Mobilization; The sports specific warm up; Introducing a warm up session to clients When introducing warming up to your clients remember the following points: Check none of your clients have any underlying injuries or problems that may be aggravated by the warm up or course content. Most clients will have some experience and knowledge of stretches. They may only require you to identify sports specific stretches i.e. forearms. They may benefit from reminding how to stretch correctly. Unless the focus of your session is warming up it is unlikely that spending 15 minutes of the course warming up is appropriate. Minors shouldn t be told specific stretches but instead encouraged to warm-up and maximize joint mobility through movement, games and fun. Stretching Vs Joint Mobilisation: Joint Mobilisation could simply be termed stretching however some fitness professionals are suggesting that the word should be used with care. Any stretch suggested to clients should be a passive stretch without a goal such that it is not possible for an injury to occur through bouncing or poor technique. We are encouraging stretching such that a joint is mobilised through its full range of motion and prepared for such motion to occur under stress. Dynamic Stretching It is possible to add a forth phase to any warm up which is termed Dynamic Stretching. This is an advanced tool and would only be of benefit to climbers looking at performance training. The Cost of not warming up. If you need persuading to warm up then look at the maths. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare your body for a session but an injury could easily cost you over weeks or months of climbing time not including a reduced performance for a potentially longer period. The General Warm up (All Levels) The general warm up is intended to increase blood and nutrient flow around the body by elevating both the heart and respiratory rate. The extent of a warm up will depend on the fitness of the participant. Aim to warm up for about five minutes and in such a way as to produce a light sweat. You should NOT work so hard as to be unable to continue talking during your warm up. Warming up can include: Walking, running or cycling to the climbing centre.

2 Running, jogging or skipping on the spot. Climbing 1 or 2 easy top ropes. Warming up for Children. Children will need to enjoy their warming up to take it seriously. If working in youth groups try to make warming up a fun group activity. Team building games here are excellent as they encourage working together and trust a key aspect of climbing. Joint Mobilisation and Passive Stretching (Adults Only) Passive stretching is the safest and most basic form of stretching. The aim of a passive stretch is to move a joint through its full range of movement placing all the connective tissues under tension. This lengthening of the tendons and muscles will in turn increase the mobility of the affected joints. This crucial part of a warm up enables a more effective second phase. In order to perform an effective stretch you should: Relax all muscles including those to be stretched working through from your head to your feet. Move gently into the focus position so further movement is resisted by the joint and associated connective tissue. All other muscles should remain relaxed. Breathe in and then while breathing out increase the tension such that you feel a SLIGHT discomfort. This discomfort should vanish in a few seconds as your muscles and tendons lengthen to accommodate the increased tension. DO NOT increase the tension further but hold for up to 10 seconds. DO NOT bounce, stretch or force any further movement other than what is natural. Possible Stretches (Adults Only) The following stretches are only suggestions and plenty of alternatives are available. Varying the stretches you use to target different muscles will prevent your body and mind from stagnating. Forearms Extend the target arm with the inner forearm facing upwards. Use the other hand to pull your fingers back towards the body until you feel the stretch in the forearm. Do not over extend the joint past ninety degrees and repeat for both arms. Hyper-extending Finger Joints Bend all your fingers back at each joint preparing them for crimping.

3 Shoulder Circles Rotate each arm around in circles, one at a time. Be careful not to spin your arms but form careful circles and take the shoulder through its full range of movement. Shoulder Stretch Extend your target arm in front of your body. Place the other wrist underneath and pull inward toward your body, while keeping the target arm extended. Stretch the other side. Triceps Stretch Bend the target arm while placing your fingers in the middle of the back. Using the other arm, pull your target elbow backward until you feel the stretch in the back of your arm. Stretch the other side. Chest Take your hands from your side and interconnect them behind your back. Raise your arms behind your back until you feel some tension in your chest. Hold for ten seconds. Latissimus Dorsi (Lats) and Obliques With your feet just over shoulder width apart let one hand slide down your leg and with the other arm reach to the sky. You feel the stretch along the lats (Latissimus dorsi) and Obliques. Inner thigh Stretch While seated, pull both feet inward toward the body. Grab your feet with your hands, while using the elbows to press downward slightly on the knees. You should feel this stretch in your inner thighs.

4 Lower Back and Spinal Twist Stretch Lay flat on the floor and using the arms to keep your shoulders on the ground rotate one leg bent over the other. Target area is glutes and lower back. Alternative Lower Back While seated, extend the left leg in front of you. Bend your right leg, bringing your knee towards your chest. Rotate your upper body to the left and then to the right focus on maintaining a straight back. Hold for seconds each side. Repeat the other side. Sports Specific Warm Up (All Levels). Now you have completed the initial warm up you are in a position to safely move onto the sports specific warm up which will reflect the movements and actions of rock climbing. This is to be undertaken at an increased level of intensity and hence can only be safely done so if the initial phase has been completed. The most obvious warm up for climbing is some easy climbing on large holds. This could be low level traversing or some simple routes. DO NOT allow yourself to become pumped during this section even if it means not completing your route or exercise. The term pumped refers to the build up of lactic acid in the muscles. If you get a strong pump this early on in your session then you ll find it almost impossible to remove. However you can sometimes benefit from a slight pump as you ll body will begin to prepare for processing and dealing with the real pump which will follow later. Instructors Note: The truth about Lactic Acid During intense exercise, such as sprinting type activities, when the rate of demand for energy is high, lactate is produced faster than the ability of the tissues to remove it and lactate concentration begins to rise. Contrary to popular belief, this increased concentration of lactate is not directly responsible for the acidosis, muscle pain or "burning". The acidosis that is associated with increases in lactate concentration during heavy exercise arises from a completely separate reaction where a hydrogen ion is released which affects the ph levels within the muscle. As you climb try to focus on all the techniques you know. Remember to use straight arms and relaxed fingers. Don t over grip and be sure to let your feet do the work. These should be easy routes and you shouldn t be struggling - use this time for some mental preparation too. Starting Your Session Now you are warmed sufficiently to begin your session, DO NOT blow it all in the first route or boulder problem by jumping on something too hard. The following points will ensure that your session progresses well: Increase the level of difficulty slowly over a period of 20 minutes (Bouldering) and 40 minutes (Routes)

5 Take sufficient rest (5 minutes) between climbs. Tackle different types of climb or surface angle. The Cool Down Cooling Down is the last element of any exercise session and is often overlooked. We squeeze in one more climb and then don t cool down or stretch ourselves off. The aim is to increase flexibility, flush the body out removing lactic acid and mentally relax so you can leave feeling refreshed. The main reasons for ensuring a complete cool down are: Reduced delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) Improved flexibility Release stress Aid relaxation The cool down should last around 5 to 10 minutes and is divided into three sections: Flexibility Relaxation Revitalize During this section your core body temperature, heart rate and mental state are brought back to near-resting levels. However, your metabolic rate could remain higher for some time and this will be discussed later. Ending your session with two or three easy routes will reduce your heart rate before you move on to a final stretch Flexibility (Adults Only) Muscles respond best to stretching when they are warm and pliable. In addition they shorten during exercise and will need to be lengthened again before cooling. During the cooling down stretches try to ensure a smooth transition from one position to another to encourage the relaxation phase to begin early. You should stretch the same muscles as in your warm up and can use the same stretches. However you may choose to make one difference. Maintenance Stretches (Adults Only) This is what you did in the warm up. Development Stretches (Adults Only) Development stretches are held for longer and are aimed at those specific muscles that will shorten regularly during your daily activities e.g. if you spend a lot of your time seated your pectorals, hip-flexors and hamstrings will tighten. Current research suggests 15 to 60 seconds with an optimum of 30 seconds. When the initial discomfort subsides the tension should be increased again until the same level of discomfort is felt. The stretch should not be forced - if limbs shake or the discomfort doesn t subside after 8 to 10 seconds then the tension should be reduced. Relax and Revitalize Don t just race out of the centre on completing your session. Take a few minutes to relax and return to normal. Too many people have accidents on leaving centres because their heads are still full of training.