Flag Football - Opal Series

Over the months of September to December 2017 I was lucky to work at the Northern Conference Womens Opal Series Tournament in Sheffield and then the finals for BAFA.

Having never previously worked with the sport of flag football, but just tackle football, it was great to learn about the game and worked with the women involved with the day. (Big thanks to the East Kilbride Pirates who provided me with a warm drink when I was frozen!) Although I have a great love of tackle football, I thoroughly enjoyed working with/watching flag football and I'm now a big fan!

Despite flag being 'non-contact' it was very interesting to learn of the beliefs (of some) within the flag-football culture that injuries (especially concussion injuries) do not occur within the sport. Well, by the end of the series, we saw this wasn't the case. At the final especially (and understandably) I was very busy with injuries!

It is also very clear that player education around injury care is vital within the sport of flag football. Something which I have been developing on my blog site specific to American Football 'Gridiron Strong' and hope to continue with my research.

I am delighted to say that in the new year I will be working with the Womens GB Flag Team!

I'm thoroughly looking forward to working with the athletes and coaching staff, especially at our tournament vs Sweden in February. If you're in Glasgow on Feb 3rd then come along to watch!

Thank you to SamCrowPhotography for the snaps!

Interview | Strongman James Landless

Source: Power News by World Heavy Events Association

This weekend James Landless competes in the BNSF Britain's Strongest Man. I have been working with James on the run up to this competition to help manage his physical condition and enhance performance. Here I interview James on his journey so far... 

1. Tell us about yourself. 

Well I'm a stone mason through the day and a strongman at night so they go hand in hand with each other. Each one helping the other. Strength helps when I’m working, and stamina, flexibility and moving awkward objects helps the strongman training . But my hobby is definitely my sport. Outside of strongman training I enjoy socialising with friends.

2. Tell us about the highlight of your strongman career so far.

I was drawn to the sport accidentally as I had always fancied doing some sort of competition to push myself and I wasn't too keen on the dieting phase for bodybuilding. So I thought I would have a go at strongman.

The highlight of my career would have to be when I won northern England's strongest natural man for the first time. It came as a shock moving straight from novice level to a high level of competition. At that time I had only been training for 6 months as a strongman and was quite raw on all the events.

3. As Strongman training consists of a lot of lifting already, what type of supplementary training do you find necessary to do? What benefits have you seen from this training? 

I find that I benefit mostly by training body parts like a bodybuilder would. For example I would train back by itself and hit deadlift as a compound movement and pick 2-3 movements that would assist in building the back and strengthening the deadlift. For example I would warm up on pulldowns, and deadlifts reps and sets would vary week to week . Then I'd hit heavy barbell rows, pull ups and then maybe if I was feeling like I wanted a bit more, I would do some hyper-extensions.

4. What is your top tip for recovery?

My best advice for recovery would be eat, sleep, stretch and relax . My training has been full on for 18 months now and I've realised that you need to switch off from it and still make time for family and friends. Don't worry about being a bit rough the next day and not being able to eat a big breakfast. Building strength is a long process so balance is the key to consistent training for progression in the sport.

5. Can you summarise your own personal approach to training and nutrition?

My personal approach to training and nutrition is to look at my upcoming competition, try and separate all the events into training days to suit body parts. Then I’ll programme a session on a weekend where I do a couple of movement events - something like stones or another loading event. 
As far as nutrition goes I take it day by day aiming to hit around 50g protein per meal and some healthy carbs and maybe a bit of fat.

6. You used to compete in American Football. What have you learnt by playing the game and is there anything you feel you have reapplied when competing as a Strongman?

From playing American football I learned to be able to switch on and switch off quickly which is great for strongman. Strongman competitions are quite long and usually only consist of 5-6 events so you need to be able to switch on, smash it, then switch of after to conserve energy and focus your mind on the next event.

7. Your next competition is this weekend! Can you tell us a little about how you have been preparing for this competition? 

I'm preparing for my next competition by just slowly increasing weight so I peak at the comp weights in competition. I take a laid-back approach and am very careful in what I do. As soon as I get the events through for a competition I will not do any unnecessary exercises or activities to avoid injury.

 8. Do you have any future plans or goals within the sport of Strongman? 

My main goal is to win Britain’s Strongest Natural Man just once then I will retire from that organisation, take a year off while dropping around 3 stone (just to make normal life/work easier). Then I will focus on more of a power-lifting style training week e.g. deadlifts, squats and pressing (this will be the main focus) and maybe once a month or so do a light run through of strongman events to keep my hand in it.

Good luck to James this weekend competing! I am sure he will absolutely smash it!

If you fancy going to watch this competition then click here to find the details.

Watch James lift on his Instagram account here.  

Everyday care for the dancer’s feet

The foot and ankle are a vulnerable area for the dancer, accounting for 65% of all injuries within professional dancers and 53.4% within elite pre-professional dance students. Dancers are constantly on their feet and despite the effortless look, there is no doubt that this art puts incredible strain on the lower limbs. 

A combination of flexibility, stability and dynamic strength are required at the ankle and foot for a healthy dancer’s foot. However, despite the intense training, injuries in this area are highly common.

Foot injuries can be caused by a number of factors including;

•             ill-fitting shoes,

•             an increase of training intensity too quickly,

•             poor dance technique,

•             over training

Chronic injuries at the foot, due to overtraining, are more common than acute injuries.

Below are some tips of how you can take care of your feet each day, with an aim to prevent injury.

Everyday care

Remove the waddle

As a dancer it is very important to look after your feet when outside of the studio. Dancers often adopt the dancers “waddle” out of habit due to their turnout training. However, mechanically, the feet are not designed to be turned outwards, therefore it is important to note when walking and jogging to place your feet in parallel.

Rest and recover

Additionally, allowing your feet to rest and recover is highly important and beneficial, in order to help prevent injuries due to overtraining. Possible ways of doing this is by soaking the feet, simply taking the weight off your feet or having a massage in the arch of the foot and Achilles tendon insertion.

Wear the correct footwear

When buying shoes, ensure you wear properly fitted shoes. Not only dance shoes, but any casual pumps too. After a long day training you do not want to put extra strain on your feet. I would suggest purchasing a well-fitting pair of running trainers for these occasions.

Prepare your feet

In the morning you might feel stiffness in the foot and ankle. Why not prepare the feet first thing? Even before class? This will feel like a breath of fresh air and help enhance movement quality.

Try this plantar fascia roll.

1.            Using a hockey ball, roll deeply into the plantar fascia on the foot for 2-3 minutes. Ensure you cover the whole underside of the foot.

2.            Repeat on the other foot.

You'll feel like you're walking on air!

Strengthening the ankle and foot is highly important in order to prevent fatigue, a leading cause in injury. View my article on improving ankle strength here and warming up the ankle and foot here.

Look after blisters

Blisters are a common complaint for ballet dancers caused by moisture and repeated friction from (most commonly) pointe shoes. Taping susceptible areas of the feet can help prevent blisters yet don’t work 100% of the time.

When blisters come up it is unadvisable to burst blisters. Doing so could lead to infection. It is best to leave the blister to heal in the open air, however dance class schedules and pain can restrict this. Therefore you can drain a blister using a sterilised needle to ‘pop’ the blister. It is important to keep the roof of the blister intact to allow as cover which will help avoid infection. It is then best to cover this area with a clean dressing.  

Avoid bunions

Toe spacers or improvised toe spaces help to improve the alignment of the big toe. I would recommend fixing these in place before class with a bit of tape.

If you suffer from bunions then seek a good pointe shoe fitter who can offer you a shoe with the correct support and angling to remove pressure from the bunion.

At the end of the day have an ice pack to hand to sooth any bunion pain.

Do you have any rituals you go through each day to look after your feet? Let me know below!

 Photo credit: Rennison-Rae Photography

Dealing with a severe ankle sprain

Four weeks yesterday I seriously sprained my ankle. Trust me to do such a thing whilst trying to perform an exercise to build reaction and strength in the muscles surrounding the ankle joint! *face palm* It was totally my fault and not something I will do again!

Having had a very exciting meeting I wasn’t keeping track of the time and consequently had to race (within the speed limits) to reach that evenings rugby clinic. Still buzzing from the meeting and disappointed at myself for not keeping track of the time I wasn’t focused sufficiently to perform a complex exercise (I got caught up in a 12-inch hurdle whilst performing lateral ankle hops.) You live and learn eh! Good thing I wasn’t coaching a large group at the time!

At first I was in so much pain and worried as I couldn’t move my foot. (I hadn’t sprained my ankle since I was in primary school so the pain felt very alien). Thankfully my boyfriend Richard was there training with me and able to calm me down and carry me back inside. Having had a great number of injuries himself, Richard took on the role of therapist and could assess my ankle without much prompting from me (A sports therapist in the making perhaps?)! The injury didn’t seem too severe in that nothing was broken but instead a lot of soft tissue damage had been done. I’d fallen into a plantarflexion/inversion position so a lot of anterior structures had been damaged. I placed it at a severe grade 2 injury, and hobbled my way home for immediate treatment.

Immediate swelling

Over the next few hours/days the ankle swelled up quite significantly and bruising of a beautiful violet blue developed! I used the R.I.C.E protocol of rest, ice, compression and elevation for a good 10 days straight, and tried to keep off my feet as much as possible. This admittedly wasn’t as much as I ideally would have since my parents were visiting and I wished to show them around rather than be stuck indoors, but I survived!

Richard applying Kinesio Tape

Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

The swelling was pretty significant!

In addition to using a crepe bandage with horse-shoe padding to encourage a greater decrease in swelling, I used Kinesio Tape to help lymphatic drainage. Again Richard put his therapist skills to good use! The effects of this tape were most evident in the bruising, where on removal you could see where the tape had once laid (small thin .5cm lines no longer the colour of the bruising).

I had some beautiful bruising!

In the weeks prior to this injury, training had been going well and so this caused me the most frustration. However I have managed to adjust my training accordingly. For the first week I laid off training legs completely, only concentrating on my upper body – fun and frustrating at the same time. Slowly but surely I have gradually been working the ankle through proprioceptive work on the ground and then on un-even surfaces. At 14 days the ankle was still too painful to perform general resistance work with therabands so I stopped and moved on. Listening to your body following an injury is key to progress and not regress. I have finally managed to get back squatting by performing front squats as this doesn’t cause any pain at the ankle. Back squats however are another matter. I tried this exercise first, but found that my ankle was uncomfortable and consequently changed my form. I wasn’t having that! So I tried loading from the front i.e. front squats. Flexible training at its best!

Rehabilitation begins!

Thank you to Chris Rennison-Rae for allowing me to change the nature of our recent shoots due to the injury. Dancing on pointe and jumping around are not ideal with a poorly ankle! And I think the alternative photos turned out quite nicely!

You can see my swollen ankle if you look closely!

Four weeks in and the swelling has almost disappeared but what remains seems to be within the joint itself. Actively placing the foot in demi-point and pointing the toes/ankle is now possible. I am also able to jog without pain but springing off one foot is not yet comfortable. With swelling still present in the joint I am continuing to follow the R.I.C.E protocol and hope that I can up my rehabilitation soon. I expect it to take another 2 weeks to fully recover. Then I think I might try my hand at some running along our beautiful coastline.  

 - E

Gridiron Strong

For more American Football posts, please take a look at my website Gridiron Strong.

http://gridironstrong.co.uk/

The benefits of exercising in a pool

I am forever telling clients to find a pool during the early rehabilitation stages. However hydrotherapy can be just as useful for the healthy individual and you don’t need to get your head wet to feel the benefits! Read below to find out why…

There are several benefits to exercising in water –

Buoyancy: The water supports your weight, therefore there is less strain put on the joints. This can also aid in the development of balance and strength.

Heart health: You can maintain your level of cardiovascular fitness during injury (if not improve it), when moving through the water. The hydrostatic pressure of the water against the chest wall resists the muscles expanding the chest during breathing. Thus regular exercise within the water strengthens these muscles, allowing them to expand more efficiently, enabling a greater volume intake of air when exercising on land.

Strength gains: Water provides resistance due to the gentle friction provided by the water, therefore strengthening the body. Holding onto the pool edge and swinging your leg forward and back is one example of this.

Joint range of motion and endurance can be increased without joint pain & strenuous activity due to the buoyancy of the water. Heavier limbs, such as the legs will be easier to lift and hold.

Reduced swelling: Hydrostatic pressure of the water acts as a compression support, encouraging lymphatic drainage from swollen joints and limbs.

Eased pain: The warmth and sound of the water can help to relax an individual, decreasing the level of pain.

Exercises can be performed within the pool prior to on-land: This is beneficial for the individual recovering from injury when performing an exercise out of the pool would be too strenuous.

Who would I recommend it to?

·         Injured individuals

·         Individuals with osteoarthritis or diabetes

·         Healthy individuals

·         All ages, shapes and sizes

When is Hydro therapy not appropriate?

It is always worthwhile clearing yourself with a registered professional i.e. Graduate Sports Therapist, Physiotherapist or Doctor prior to partaking in hydro therapy. Those with certain conditions should avoid. These include:

·         Wound or skin infection

·         Raised temperature

·         Breathing difficulties

·         Heart conditions

·         Incontinence

·         Infection

·         Kidney problems

·         Low or high blood pressure

·         Viruses/stomach upset

Any questions regarding Hydro Therapy or exercise therapy, please get in touch!

-E 

The Dancer’s Essential Warm-up – Part 1 The Foot and Ankle

Photography by C. Rennison-Rae

The Anatomy

The foot consists of 26 bones and is divided into three separate parts- the hind foot, the midfoot and the forefoot.

·         The hind foot consists of the talus, calcaneus (heel bone), navicular, cuboid and 3 cuneiform bones.

·         The midfoot is comprised of 5 metatarsals.

·         The forefoot consists of the toes, each with three parts (the phalanges). Only the big toe (also known as hallux) has two phalange, just like the thumb.

The talus is a very important bone as it transfers the body’s weight to the foot, and is stabilised by multiple ligaments which are often exposed to injury due to insufficient strength at the joint.

The ankle Talocrural joint is classified as a hinge joint. Due to it being this kind of joint, movement is only possible in one plane i.e. plantarflexion (pointing the toes) and dorsiflexion (flexing the foot). The gastrocnemius, soleus and toe flexors work together to produce this movement. Dorsiflexion is carried out by the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, the peroneus tertius and the long toe extensors.

Inversion (sickle foot) and eversion (winged foot) of the ankle occurs at the Subtalar glide joint. Inversion is produced by the tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior. Eversion is carried out by the peroneal muscles.

Source: Bing Images

The importance of warming-up the foot and ankle

Strong coordinated feet are essential to a dancer’s technique.

The foot is required to be stable, yet at the same time, flexible and elastic. The joints of the foot are shock absorbers, built for dynamics and balance of the foot. Mobility of the foot is genetically determined, but good training from a young age can improve its form and mobility. Strength and stability are also important areas within the foot, which can be trained (an area I shall talk about in a future post).

Due to this, it is vitally important that the dancer thoroughly prepares their feet for class and performances. Fully preparing from the bottom of the kinetic chain up will contribute to preparing the rest of the body.

Follow these steps to correctly warm up your feet

Foot circles

This exercise not only acts as a gentle mobilisation exercise, but is also good for focusing the mind.

1.       Start by lying on your back. Bring the left knee to your chest and hold the shin parallel to the floor. Dorsiflex the ankle.

2.       Circle the foot to the outside, through a pointed foot, to the inside and back to the start in a dorsiflexed position.

3.       Repeat this 6 times and then repeat this movement in the opposite direction.

Note: Focus on working the whole range of movement while imagining yourself stirring a pot of thick porridge.

Good toes, naughty toes

1.       Sitting upright with your legs stretched out in front of you

2.       Wrap a theraband around the balls of the foot and hold either end of the band in both hands.

3.       Starting with the ankle in a neutral position, slowly roll through the foot to pointed ‘good’ toes. This movement should be against the resistance of the band.

4.       Slowly return the ankle to the neutral ‘naughty’ positon, resisting the recoil of the band.

5.       Repeat this exercise 15 times on each foot.

Good Toes

Naughty Toes

The Franklin Method

There are eight steps to follow to feel the full effects.

Preparation – stand comfortably on both feet and feel fully aware of your body

1.       Massage

Using one ball e.g. a tennis ball, gently roll your foot back and forth on the ball, massaging the whole sole of your foot.

How much pressure you apply is dependent on you as an individual.

2.       Forefoot rotation

Put your forefoot on the ball, keeping the heel on the floor. Inwardly rotate and outwardly rotate your foot, touching the little and then big toe to the ground.

Your knee and hip will move with the rotation of the foot. Go to your own comfort.

Repeat 5-6times each side.

3.       Inward/outward foot rolling with toes towards the sky

Continue rolling the foot inwards and outwards but reach the toes towards the sky.

4.       Point flex

Keeping a straight knee, roll the ball under the arch of the foot, point and flex 5-6 times (plantar flexion and dorsiflexion).

5.       Toe scrunch

With your forefoot foot still on the ball, hug the ball with your toes. Repeat this 5-6 times.

6.       Heel rotation

Bring the ball under your heel, toes brace on the floor. Rotate the heel inward and outward. Repeat 5-6 times.

7.       Step up

Place the ball in the centre of the foot and step up on it briefly, taking the other foot off the floor. Repeat 5-6 times. Keep alignment and posture.

8.       Take the ball away and stand on both feet. Notice how one foot feels different from the other.

Massage

Forefoot rotation

Heel rotation

Point flex

Forefoot rotation

Massage

Step Up

Toe Scrunch

Toes towards the sky

Single leg balance

1.       Using a folded towel, folded yoga matt or cushion place this under the standing leg.

2.       Raise the working leg off the floor and keep the standing leg slightly bent.

3.       Close your eyes and stabilise the joint.

4.       Progress this exercise by turning out or standing on demi pointe.

Hope you find these useful!

-E

The secret tool to rehabilitation

 Support

 The often forgotten essential tool of rehabilitation.

Having recently read an online article by ballet dancer Rebecca King, it made me reflect on my own experience of providing support within the rehabilitation of clients.

Too many times within grassroots have I experienced players being put down by their coaches and fellow team mates through missing games due to serious injuries. This mocking is often because they’re not ‘putting their body on the line’ for the team anymore, which is primarily due to the fact that they’ve done this one too many times and their body has finally given up. What angers me the most is that no credit and understanding is given to these players who are working their boots off to get back onto the field and it is then left to me as their rehabilitator to not allow this player to become despondent. Not only is this destructive to the team environment but it is harmful to athletes mental and physical wellbeing. If it was me, I know I certainly wouldn’t want to return to a team with an attitude like this.

As a therapist, our role is not to simply drill out numerous exercises for our athlete, but to also ensure a good mental state and preparedness listening and advising our clients when they have concerns. Thus I try to ensure all my sessions are run with light-heartedness, good-humour and in a safe environment, where they can feel relaxed and open to talk. From doing this, my athletes work hard to please both themselves and me.            

Support from the team and staff are not the only places this care should be coming from, support from both friends and family are key. This allows for good psychological health within and away from sport and can aid to a better recovery.

Let me know your thoughts on this area! Have you experienced a lack of support from your team and how did you overcome it?

- E

6 things I love about working as a Sports Therapist

1.       Educating and aiming to protect players from further damage

I love treating people, but it gives greater satisfaction when I can educate my clients to enable them to take steps to improve their health on their own.

2.       The people you meet

I have met some wonderful people throughout my time working and look forward to meeting many more interesting people. I absolutely love listening to old stories told by client’s and learning different things from each of them.

3.       Helping others

I like to help people. I always have and I always will. Seeing a client improve or having one tell you they are now pain free makes my day!

4.       The places you travel

Despite waking up at 4.30am for some away games and the eventful University American Football journeys I have been on, I love visiting new places. It's just another mini adventure for me! I even love those freezing cold snowy days on the side-lines when I can't feel my toes or fingers. Being outside and able to watch sport is an ideal weekend activity for me, so combined with doing the job I love, it is a winning combination!

5.       Family and friends

At all the clubs/teams I have been involved in, I have been welcomed and made to feel as part of one big family. With my first team (Teesside University Cougars), it felt like I had 30 big brothers who would look after me. I have made some lifelong friends (young and old) while being part of these teams and am forever grateful for their support promoting me and my work. 

6.       Continuous learning

In this job, you never truly leave education. To hold onto my professional insurance and membership, it is a requirement to continue my professional development. However, as you might be aware within this job, you will constantly be returning to books and journal publications to seek new ways of treatments or to investigate further into an injury. I absolutely love this, as since leaving university I miss the deadlines, which I guess it is part of the reason I write this blog. Yey to learning!

-          E