An easy guide to maintain mobility when temperatures are below zero

Posted January 4, 2017By Tania Haas, Staff Writer

Winter is a welcome season for those who embrace sports on the hills, rinks and trails. In order to ensure your mobility and flexibility all winter long, be sure to set aside time for a proper warm-up and cool down.

Warm up to relieve muscle tightness

Before heading out, Rob Turner, a fitness trainer at Medcan, recommends a foam roller session to activate the muscles without getting the rest of the body covered in perspiration.

“A foam roller can be used as self-massage to release muscle tightness and trigger points and prepares the body tissues for activity,” says Turner. “I focus on glutes, quads and upper back for the primary warm-up and cool-down exercises.”

Foam rolling: glutes

• Start by sitting with one leg crossed over the other while sitting on top of the foam roller
• You should almost be sitting directly on top of the roller, starting at the top of your glutes
• Lean slightly towards the leg you’re working
• Roll your way down
• The entire movement is not more than a few inches, so be careful not to “fall off”

Foam rolling: quadriceps

• Start in the plank position supporting your body weight with elbows beneath shoulders
• Place the foam roller lengthwise above knees between your quads and the floor
• Roll the muscles from just above the knees up to the hip
• Pause and hold on any tight or painful areas to work out the tension
• Rob recommends rolling all sections of the quadriceps including the medial (inside), middle and lateral (outside) portions

Foam rolling: upper back

• Place the foam roller under the middle of your back
• You can gently support your head with your hands clasped behind the back of your head, or you can cross your arms over your chest – whichever is more comfortable
• Lift your hips up off the floor
• Roll your body down, so the roller massages up to the upper shoulders
• Keep your hips off the ground for the entire range of motion
• Remember to not roll the lower back

Stretch hip flexors to improve mobility

Vince Rinella, a fitness trainer at Medcan and an avid snowboarder, recommends stretching out the hip flexor to avoid injury. Since most of us are desk jockeys, our hip joints are particularly prone to injury once we venture out into the elements. When our hips are parked at 90 degrees for most of the day, the joint’s mobility is restricted.  Tight hip flexors can also cause lower back pain.

Kneeling hip flexor stretch

• Kneel with your left knee on a foam block
• Plant your right foot firmly on the floor with your ankle under your right knee
• The right thigh should be at a 90-degree angle with the floor
• Slowly shift your weight forward (while raising your arms above your head) until you feel a stretch in your left hip
• Hold for 15 seconds
• Repeat on the other side

Pigeon stretch

• Start on all fours in a table top position
• Slowly get into pigeon pose by sliding right knee forward toward your right hand
• Your torso transitions from table top to an upright position with your arms straight
• Angle your right knee at two o’clock
• Slide your left leg back as far as your hips will allow
• Keep your hips square to the floor to ensure you open your hips to the fullest
• Depending on your flexibility, slowly bend the torso forward with your forehead aiming toward the floor
• To get full release in the hips, breathe and release the belly
• You can stay in the upright or bent forward position for 10 breaths or up to two minutes.
• Repeat on the other side