Staying Injury Free during Christmas
It’s a common theme – January is one of our busiest months. Why? Here’s our big reasons:
1. New Year’s Resolutions – taking on a new challenge can be a great thing to take you outside your comfort zone. But almost everyone goes a little too hard too soon, and pulls up a bit sore as a result
2. Accidents – children especially! Got a new pair of roller skates on Christmas Day, injured by Boxing Day – all too common.
3. Lifting the Turkey the wrong way – less likely, but also can happen. Not only the Turkey, everyone tries to get some of that cleaning done that they had been putting off all year!
How do we prevent Festive season Injuries from occurring?
Some of them are unfortunately inevitable, but here are our top tips to staying Injury Free during Christmas….
1. Stay hydrated. It is currently one of the hottest Novembers on record , and December is shaping up to be the same. Did you know that your daily water consumption (in litres) should be 0.085 x your bodyweight (in kilos)? Now maybe we aren’t all achieving that much, but this gives you an insight into how much you need to be hydrated!
2. Take care with New Years Resolutions. Don’t go too hard too soon at the gym attempting to lift massive weights. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your summer body won’t be either. So take your time and do it safely!
3. Take care when lifting the Turkey. Or anything else heavy for that matter! Everyone knows safe lifting technique – bend at the knees, avoid excessive twisting and keep a neutral spine. These rules aren’t just in place to keep your boss happy, but also to keep your back happy! Christmas isn’t the time to be in a mad rush, so slow down and focus on how you are lifting.
4. Try to stay safe with risky activities. We aren’t saying to stop the roller blading on the new skates, but ensure you practice the relevant safety measures to prevent broken bones and sprains so you don’t have to be one of the many we see in January.
While we like being busy, we prefer to see you healthy. So practice these tips to stay safe out there over the silly season!
Connor Mckay – Physiotherapist
