Stretching,conditioningimportantinexercising

by Joyce Ward staff writer

Students who wish to take up recreational sports such as running should remember to allow sufficient time to stretch their muscles before and after exercise. Stretching and conditioning the muscles and gradually increasing exercise effort is the best way to avoid injuries in all sports, Karen Silverman, a physical therapist at Bryn Mawr Sports Medicine, said.

The Bryn Mawr facility is used by many professional sports participants and also provides services to Cabrini students, according to head men's and women's tennis coach Reggie Day.

The most common injuries sustained by students engaging in recreational sports, such as tennis, running and volleyball, are strains and sprains. These injuries are generally due to overstraining insufficiently conditioned muscle groups.

"Students should always take the time to stretch before engaging in these sports, especially if they are not exercising on a regular basis," Day said.

Day explains that a sufficient exercise routine would be at least four to five times per week. Many students only engage in recreational sports on the weekends and are therefore not sufficiently conditioned to avoid injury.

"When you stretch, you elongate muscles and then the muscle has a greater range of motion and increased blood flow," Day said.

He suggested that students warm-up prior to stretching. He recommends jumping jacks as a good way of increasing blood flow to these muscle groups. After the warm-up and again after the recreational sport, muscle stretches should be held for a count of five to 10 and repeated at least twice.

These stretches should include all the muscle groups that are being used in the specific recreational sport. In tennis, this would include the muscles of the arms, shoulders and legs. In running, the calves and hamstrings are the muscle groups most prone to tightening and cramping.

Another way to avoid injuries is to increase effort gradually.

"Students who want to take up jogging or running should start out with moderate effort, perhaps a combination of walking and running," Silverman said. "They should not increase their exercise load more than 10 percent per week. It is very important that they allow the extra minutes to stretch after exercise when the muscles have been warmed up."

The proper shoes are also important in recreational sports. Silverman indicated most running injuries can be prevented by making sure to wear proper footwear, including arch supports when needed. The student should also be careful about running on surfaces and only gradually increase the grade of the surface from level surfaces to hills.

If the student sustains a minor sprain or strain the general rule for treatment goes by the mnemonic letters "RICE." This stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. Staying off the injured part and resting it should allow the muscle to heal. Ice should be used for the first two days to reduce swelling and control pain.

After two days heat can help relax the muscle, according to coach Day. Compression is usually done by using a wrap. Coaches often use wraps to stabilize weak areas caused by strains and sprains. Many braces and supports for specific areas such as elbows, knees and wrists can be found in local drug stores and pharmacies.

Injuries will cause increased blood flow to the area as the body tries to heal itself. This increased blood flow can cause swelling and pain in tissues. Elevation of the body part will help to reduce this increased blood flow.

Most injuries can be avoided by proper stretching and gradual increases in exercise levels. Minor injuries will soon heal with the "RICE" treatment.

Breaks cannot always be distinguished from strains. However, if an injury is severe or there is a lot of swelling, the student should go to health services, their physician or a hospital for professional evaluation. Any lesser injuries that become chronic or cause pain for longer than a few days should also be professionally evaluated.