People who are cooped up in their houses may finally get sick of staying indoors and decide to head out into the elements to engage in one of the many activities that are only possible in cold and snowy conditions. Maybe you just want to go sledding down the hill, perhaps you’re fine with running in the cold, or maybe you’re going to go ice skating or engage in any number of other exercises that come about in such weather.
If you do any of these things, then you need to do so in a manner that is conducive to injury prevention. That will require certain precautions that you may not think about during other times of the year, and those precautions are explored in a new report that you would do well to take a look at.
The possibility of a muscle injury is increased during the winter if you’re not willing to engage in warmup exercises. You may not perceive something like skating around an ice rink as an exercise, but that’s exactly what it is. Just as you hopefully wouldn’t run three miles without stretching your body and getting in a light jog, so too must you not ignore these good habits prior to any type of wintertime activity.
Depending on where you are outdoors, you’ll also want to take into account the lay of the land. If you’ve decided to go running on a trail, for instance, that trail may appear far different now than it did even a couple weeks ago if snow has fallen in the interim. Be cognizant of those areas where ice could accumulate or you could lose your footing. You may even do a preliminary walk the day before you run all-out so that you can identify the types of hazards that could trip you up. When you’re running, you may not be able to see these.
Those obstacles could be things like ice or less noticeable things like rocks that are jutting out of the ground but are obscured by the snow. Snow fences may have even been erected along your route. Any of these can cause your body to contort into awkward positions that boost the risk of an injury, and you’ll want to avoid them at all costs.
You can help yourself in this regard by sticking to those areas that are designated for jogging or bike riding. These will be the first cleared after a snowstorm, and the likelihood of a hidden obstacle is therefore decreased. You also should strive to steer clear of the types of hills that can prove quite injurious due to their inclines. Slipping on such a surface can send you tumbling, making the potential for injury rather high.
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