Are You Using The Off Season Wisely?
If you're competitive by nature and love playing Rugby, Netball, Football, Hockey or other Winter Sport it's quite difficult to stop mid season and rest for recovery, especially during the season when you feel your team needs you.
Did you have an Injury this year?
If you did have an injury, were you one hundred percent pain free when you returned, or did you come back sooner than expected? Many players return too early because of the peer pressure, especially at a junior level.
And this is why the off-season is so important because nothing beats rest, but at the same time you shouldn't be sitting back totally inactive and eating only doritos.
Lower Limb Injuries
In Sport foot and lower limb injuries are very common and yes, with rest you will feel much better, however was it a new Injury or a problem that returns every season?
If you've had similar problems in previous years, you need to address this during the off-season, otherwise it's just going to occur again next year.
Seeing a Podiatrist to evaluate all lower limb problems should be at the top of your to do list this off-season, especially if the pain is still present.
Evaluate your Footwear
Also, the off-season is a great time to evaluate your footwear. Many foot and Lower Limb problems can be caused by poor fitting footwear, or footwear that is past it's used by date.
Excessive wear in any area is a sure sign that your foot is not functioning as it should, and this can lead to lower and upper body injuries.
This is why our Podiatrists work closely with local Sports Physicians, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors and Osteopaths.
Incorporate Stretching and Strengthening
Strengthening and Stretching is also Important. If you've been tight in specific muscle groups, the off-season is the perfect time to address this and make an effort to become more flexible.
A lot of Injuries can be contributed to tight muscle groups or specific weaknesses.
If you have muscle tightness, it affects the function and range of motion of the associated joints, therefore this places more force and strain on other joints and muscles because the will automatically try to compensate for this lack of mobility.
Review your Orthotics
If you had orthotics made previously, you should have them evaluated during the off-season as well because if repairs or replacemebts pairs are needed, the off-season is the perfect time to do this, so you're ready for the pre season.
If you do everything right in the off-season, and fix all those niggling problems, you're going to enjoy next year's season so much more.