Keep Ankles and Wrists Safe at the Gym
Going to the health club might seem the simplest of acts: You show up, do your workout - whether it's lifting weights, taking a class or playing a game of racquetball — and then you're done.
But avid gym-goers can be setting themselves up for injury, says Kevin Plancher, MD, a leading sports orthopedist in the New York metropolitan area. And wrist and ankle injuries — both the sudden and the chronic kind — can be especially problematic.
Here are six ways to keep your wrists and ankles safe at the gym.
• Choose the right shoes. "If you participate in an activity more than three times a week, you should be wearing shoes specifically designed for that activity," Plancher says. This can do a lot to protect your ankles, he says. "Lots of people wear running shoes to the gym, but running shoes are designed for just that," explains Plancher. "They put your foot and leg into the best position to propel you forward." That means wearing running shoes when you're playing a sport that incorporates lots of side-to- side movements, like tennis, basketball or squash, could leave you with a sprained or even broken ankle. Shoes designed for cross-training would be more appropriate in these situations.
• Reduce overuse. Believe it or not, carpal tunnel syndrome is not just for desk jockeys. "Anyone who subjects his or her hands and wrists to repetitive movements can get carpal tunnel syndrome," Plancher says. "It's fairly common among people who play racquet sports, as well as people who regularly work out on rowing machines and stationary bikes." The first sign is often a burning or tingling feeling or the sensation that your hands or fingers are "falling asleep." Over time, carpal tunnel syndrome can result in permanent nerve damage.
Ankles are subject to their own type of repetitive stress injury: Tarsal tunnel syndrome, which is generally caused by ill-fitting shoes that irritate and inflame the ligaments running from the foot to the ankle.
• Watch your form. If you like to lift, be sure you're doing it perfectly, says Plancher. "Weightlifters experience high compression forces on their wrists, and that force can cause sprains and other injuries."
• If the bike fits: Cyclists are prone to a condition called "handlebar" or cyclist's palsy. When you lean your hands on the handlebars and bend your wrists backwards, the pressure can compress the ulnar nerve, which runs through the palm and up into the wrist. Like carpal tunnel syndrome, cyclist's palsy can be a serious condition, resulting in permanent nerve damage if not treated properly.
The answer: Make sure that your bike is fitted properly. Invest in padded cycling gloves, switch hand positions during your ride, and periodically shake out your hands and stretch your forearms.
• Stretch — and strengthen. To protect your wrists, take the time to stretch the muscles in your forearms and hands before working out, and take frequent "stretching breaks" during your workout, Plancher advises.
• Don't tough it out. "Many athletes feel they should 'work through the pain,'" Plancher says, "and that might be good advice if your 'pain' is plain old muscle fatigue. But it's absolutely the worst thing you can do with a joint injury." A better rule, says Plancher: "Don't do any activity that hurts, and don't return to an activity until you're pain-free."
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Posted By: Esther Pinkston
Saturday, September 6th 2008 at 12:32PM
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