Having the necessary mobility of muscles and joints allows us to function through our body’s full range of motion to move more efficiently, decreasing undue stress to our muscles and joints. Limited mobility affects running technique leading to potential compensations that could also lead to injury.
Dr. Kymwill nowbe in our Kanata clinic onWednesday 3:00pm-6:00pm
81 MetcalfeStreet • Ste 1100 Ottawa, OntarioK1P6K7 613.564.9000
30Edgewater Street • Ste 121 Kanata, OntarioK2L 1V8 613.831.5554
WWW.OTTAWAHEALTHGROUP.COM
HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body
INSIDE: • YOUR GUIDE TO RUNNING SMART
• THE OTTAWA HEALTH GROUP: COVID-19 PROTOCOL • EXERCISE ESSENTIALS
YOUR GUIDE TO RUNNING SMART
per muscle group before and after running, totaling four to eight minutes pre-and post- running. Don’t have a foam roller? The use of a lacrosse ball, tennis ball, massage stick, or rolling pin can perform the same function. DYNAMIC WARM-UP As tempting as it is to pop out of bed, tie up your running shoes, and run, a dynamic warm-up is key for injury prevention. Dynamic warm-ups increase your body’s core temperature and increase blood flow to your muscles, better preparing your body for running and exercise. Examples of dynamic warm-ups include: Inch worms, leg swings, Frankenstein’s, butt kickers, high knees, or walking lunges. Follow your foam roller program with a 5-10-minute light dynamic warm-up to get your heart rate up and your muscles primed for your run! STRENGTH Wait, strength training? Like lifting weights? YES! Resistance training not only builds strength, but it also makes muscles more efficient while running – meaning, muscles
are using less energy over the same distance during your run. Muscles that are more efficient become more resilient to injury, allowing for less stress to ankle, knee, and hip joints, which equals more pain-free running! Stronger muscles also improve power that gives the extra push at the end of a race to help enhance overall performance leading to potential personal records. Focusing on functional movements (such as squats, deadlifts, and lunges) utilizes multiple muscle groups per exercise that better carries over to running performance/ injury prevention than isolated strengthening exercises. Performing one-legged variations of squats and deadlifts will also help improve overall balance and stability. These exercises help to increase gluteal (buttock) and hamstring (back thigh muscles) strength. The gluteals and hamstrings help propel our bodies forward while running, and weakness in these muscle groups often lead to compensations by overusing the hip flexors and quadriceps (front thigh muscles) causing the all-too-common hip and knee pain in runners.
MOBILITY/SOFT TISSUE WORK
Having the necessary mobility of muscles and joints allows us to function through our body’s full range of motion to move more efficiently, decreasing undue stress to our muscles and joints. Limited mobility affects running technique leading to potential compensations that could also lead to injury. So what’s the best way to improve mobility? Static stretching? Foam roller? Both? There are pro’s and con’s to both, but the bottom line is both techniques will improve flexibility/mobility of muscles and joints. Static stretching feels good and is quick; however, it does not decrease risk of injury or reduce post-workout muscle soreness. Foam rollers can target specific areas of tension within the muscle, increase mobility, and decrease post-running soreness allowing for quicker recovery. The best areas to typically address prior to running include: glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves, avoiding rolling over any bony areas. Focus on tender spots or “knots” within the muscle 30-60 seconds
YOUR GUIDE TO RUNNING SMART
curve without overly arching or overly rounding the back. Begin by doing one to two repetitions of these exercises holding for 20-30 seconds every other day and gradually increase to daily with increase in hold times. Being able to continue to breathe while executing these core stability exercises engages the diaphragm (the muscle that fills our lungs with air) and provides further core stability while mimicking breathing patterns while running. RECOVERY Many running injuries are the result of overuse and lack of rest and recovery days. Repetitively stressing our muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments without appropriate, adequate rest will inevitably result in tissue breakdown and injury. Taking a rest day every seven to 14 days allows for tissue and metabolic regeneration leading to increased energy stores and stronger muscles, bones, and tendons that improve their resiliency to injury. Rest days may include focusing only on soft tissue mobility, taking a light walk, cross-training (cycling, swimming), participating in yoga, or another light activity to avoid overuse. While taking a rest day may feel like time away from training (detraining effects typically don’t occur until after two weeks rest), a day’s rest a week is always
better than being sidelined for six weeks with an injury!
CORE STABILITY The core is a general term referring to the muscles that help to stabilize our back, pelvis, and hips. While running with the alternating pattern of the arms and legs, a strong core will limit having too much rotation throughout the midsection of the body, allowing runners to maintain an efficient running technique for longer. Being able to run with an appropriate technique over a longer period of time not only decreases the risk for injury, but it also helps to improve performance! Many runners perform sit-ups or back extensions as a form of “core stability” exercise; however, these exercises only isolate specific muscle groups and can actually be more detrimental to low back health. A more integrated approach to core stability is by using multiple muscle groups throughout the abdominals, low back, and hip muscles. These muscles help to maintain posture, as well as transfer energy to the legs, leading to less stress to the hips, knees, and ankles and more pain-free running. Four of the basic core stability exercises include the plank, side plank, bridges, and bird dogs. When performing these exercises, it is important to maintain the back’s natural
OTTAWAHEALTHGROUP The primary risk factor for any injury is a history of a prior injury. A Ottawa Health Group evaluation focuses on movement analysis to identify potential movement patterns, as well as mobility, strength, or stability deficits that could lead to injury. Whether seeking therapy for an active injury or for injury prevention, first time runners and veterans can benefit from movement analysis to receive an individualized plan to help supplement training. Ottawa Health Group offers manual therapy, exercise prescription, massage, and education to address any mobility, strength, or stability deficits to return runners to pain-free running. Taking the time to focus on soft tissue work, strength, and core stability with adequate rest and recovery will help to keep those hips, knees, ankles, and feet pain-free and increase your performance! Call us to speak with one of our healthcare professional about staying injury free. We can help you in-person at the clinic as well as by telehealth appointment.
YOU CAN STAY ACTIVE AND HEALTHY! CALL TODAY OR VISIT US AT WWW.OTTAWAHEALTHGROUP.COM
THE OTTAWA HEALTH GROUP: COVID-19 PROTOCOL
• Hand sanitizer will be readily available and required prior to entering the office and in all treatment rooms. • Our Team will screen each patient. • Appointments are spaced to permit social distancing and limiting the number of patients in the clinic for care at a given time. • OHG’s healthcare providers will wear masks while caring for you. Our Team will be wearing masks if safe social distancing is not possible. A plexiglass barrier is set up between front desk and reception area. • Patients are strongly encouraged to wear their own mask to their scheduled appointment and if you do not have a mask we do have masks for purchase. • All Appointments must be scheduled in advance to avoid contact between patients. NO walk-in patients are permitted.
• Patients are required to enter the Clinic only at the time of their scheduled appointment. • We ask only the person who is scheduled for the appointment to enter the clinic unless assistance is required. Patients are required to complete a self- assessment screening prior to entering the clinic by answering the following questions: 1. Do you have a fever, chills? 2. Do you have a cough? 3. Do you have shortness of breath or difficulty breathing? 4. Have you been in close contact with a person who has confirmed Covid-19 or is under investigation for Covid-19 in the past 14 days? 5. Have you or anyone from your household travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days?
• Our clinics have been open for acute/ emergency care during the Covid Crisis and we will continue to do so this week. We are now pleased to announce our Downtown and Kanata Clinics will be OPEN for Chiropractic, Physiotherapy and Massage Therapy starting on Monday, June 8th. You will be able to book your regular appointments on Monday June 1st. Our priority is the health and wellbeing of our patients and our Team. We are taking next week to focus on scheduling patient appointments and implementing all the Covid-19 health and safety standards. We can assure you that our Clinics meet and exceed the federal and provincial guidelines to ensure a smooth and safe reopening. • We have alwaysmade your safety and comfort our top priority. Nowmore than ever, in light of Covid-19, we have implemented additional protocols and procedures in order to set your mind at ease and ensure your trust in us. Going forward and on a daily basis, the following is a list of the steps we will take to promote a safe and clean environment:
EXERCISE ESSENTIALS USE THIS EXERCISE TO HELP RELIEVE LOW BACK PAIN PRONE ON ELBOWS While lying face down on your stomach, slowly raise your upper body up and prop yourself onto your elbows. Hold for 30 seconds. Return to starting position and repeat 5 times.
Always consult your physiotherapist or chiropractor before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.
Exercises copyright of
WELCOME! JADE BABCOCK
AS OF MONDAY, JULY 6 TH WE ARE EXCITED TO WELCOME JADE BABCOCK TO THE OHG FAMILY, OFFERING PHYSIOTHERAPY AT OUR DOWNTOWN LOCATION!
Jade Babcock is a registered physiotherapist who has lived and worked in Ottawa for the past 6 years. A Kingston native, Jade graduated from Queen’s University with a bachelor in physical and health education. She then moved to Montreal where she completed her master’s degree in physical therapy at McGill University. Jade is a certified manual therapist through the Swodeam Institute, and is registered with the Ontario College of Physiotherapists to perform acupuncture and dry needling of the extremities. Her caseload focuses heavily on providing care to the civil servant population. She specializes in manual therapy, ergonomics, postural dysfunction, and is passionate about providing patients with a thorough education and understanding of their injuries.
Jade strives to provide patients with all- encompassing care – whether that means meeting you at work to fix your desk, or in the parking lot to adjust your car. She can be spotted all over downtown Ottawa providing her patients with action plans for injury prevention. Outside of work, you can find Jade running on canal, or cross training at the GoodLife on Queen Street. She is a mid-pack racer and a proud member of the Ottawa City Run Club. Her current aspiration is to race a sub-4 hour marathon. She is incredibly excited to be a part of the Ottawa Health Group family, and looks forward to treating you!
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