Although injuries related to winter weather can strike just about anybody, seniors who are not used to being outside for a considerable amount of time are particularly at risk. The older we get, the harder it is to bounce back from an injury. A fall on the ice that would have caused us to simply rub our heads and then get on with our lives as teenagers may require a visit to the doctor in our later years.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, active seniors must start thinking about how they’re going to minimize their exposure to injury over the coming winter. Depending on where you live in the country, snow and ice may not be far off if they haven’t struck already. If you’re intent on continuing to head out in the elements, perhaps even to shovel the driveway or the sidewalk, then there are ways to prep your body for the challenges to come. A new report offers hints on how to do that.
Just because you’re past middle age doesn’t mean you have to dramatically reduce your level of activity. If you’re used to walking outside, try other exercises when the winter weather prevents you from doing this. Maybe you could invest in a treadmill. Even walking around the house and indulging in some light stretches can help stave off injury.
Alternately, if you begin to experience strain or pain due to a winter activity like shoveling, make sure that you’re taking plenty of time to rest up before you push yourself anew. Injuries take longer to recover from than they maybe did in years past, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking the time to properly recuperate.
There may come a time this winter when you have to clear snow, and this is where you need to use caution. You should never engage in such an activity until you’ve been able to warm up with a series of stretches that work multiple muscle groups and until you’ve outfitted yourself with warm clothing.
When that’s complete, understand that minimizing movements will be perhaps the key ingredient to injury prevention. Every time you pivot your joints, you’re increasing the strain on those areas of your body, and injury potential likewise increases. Everything you do should be deliberate, designed to allow you to carry through a movement rather than have to indulge in multiple starts and stops.
This may require you to cease heaving the shovel over your body, but that’s fine. Optimal shoveling involves using the weight of your body to simply push the snow toward un-trafficked areas, reducing the amount of force you’re required to expend and protecting your body from unnecessary harms.
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