SPINNING
(INDOOR
CYCLING)
COMMON INJURIES:
Overuse injuries such as
Achilles tendonitis and patella
tendonitis (where the quad
attaches to the lower leg),
general saddle soreness from
prolonged bouts on the seat
and lower back and neck pain.
PREVENTION: Ensure that
the bike is properly fitted to
your body to ensure that you’re
not straining the body in a
compromised biomechanical
position. Ask the instructor
for adjustments. Mix up your
workouts with moves that
get your shoulders and arms
moving. Counteract the time
spent flexed in the saddle by
foam rolling and stretching,
and moving your body
into extension.
BE YOUR BEST WITH
Courtney Hancock
Competing as a professional Ironwoman
is the realisation of a dream I had when I
was five, when I saw my idols competing
on TV.
On a typical day, the alarm clock goes
off at 4.50am, swim training goes for two
hours, I have breakfast of eggs, bacon
and fruit, nap for an hour, run at 10am,
train again at 4pm and go home for a big
dinner of meat/fish and vegies.
When I started in the professional
series I was naïve to the importance of
a good diet and proper recovery after
training and competition. I NOW LISTEN
TO MY BODY A LOT MORE AND HAVE
A REST DAY WHEN I KNOW MY BODY
NEEDS IT. Over my [nine] Ironman
seasons, I have really only experienced
two major injuries and that involved
broken bones in my foot. I was able to
resume full training and competition
quickly, although I can sometimes feel
the injury at the end of a very hard weekof training. I have frequent remedial
massages and physio and use Blue
Heeler Care relief and recovery cream to
keep on top of any niggles and protect
my skin from the sun. I dread ice baths
but they’re important after a long
session. Great sleep is also critical to
keep my body in top shape.
I SET GOALS AT THE START OF
EVERY SEASON, WHICH HELPS ME TO
RESET WHENEVER I HAVE MOMENTS
OF SELF-DOUBT. Great coaches and a
long-time mentor in Kayla Gilbert also
keep me positive and focused.
REMEMBER THE THINGS YOU
DREAMED OF AS A LITTLE GIRL, where
you came from, and how hard you have
worked to get to where you are. WORK
HARD AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
AND YOU CAN BE ANYONE YOU WANT
TO BE. Don’t think ‘what if’; set a goal
and get into it.SIGNS YOU NEED TO STOP
It’s not hard to tell delayed-onset muscle
soreness (DOMS) from bad pain. DOMS
is triggered by moving muscles and
subsides within 72 hours. If pain persists
at rest or beyond 72 hours after training,
seek expert advice before performing
another workout.
If particular movements make you
wince or are inhibited by pain, you may
have an underlying issue that needs
addressing to prevent a serious injury.
Areas of redness, heat, or generalised joint
stiffness can also signal that something
is wrong.REST MANIFESTO
Rest is as important as exercise. When
you are really overtired, sore, stressed and
fatigued, take a break and try to maintain
a variety of exercise types and loads to
challenge your body in different ways.
Stress can lead to increased injury risk.
While exercise is a proven stress reliever,
cortisol and increased muscle tension can
promote inflammation and increase injury
risk. Prioritise warm-ups, which should be
specific to the imminent exercise, and ease
into workouts to avoid further stressing
the body. Complement training with
yoga or meditation and ensure adequate
nutrition and hydration. You can also use
yoga as active recovery on ‘rest’ days.
Avoid scheduling heavy strength or
power sessions on consecutive days unless
your goal is to improve your ability to
exercise under fatigue.
Exercise should be for enjoyment, not
punishment, and sometimes we get the
most improvement when we allow our
bodies to rest and recover.WEIGHTS/
STRENGTH
TRAINING
COMMON INJURIES: Rotator cuff/shoulder
problems, lower back pain (including disc injury)
and knee pain. Many weight training injuries come
from having inadequate postural control to support
the muscles being trained, placing further strain on
the joints and structures around them.
PREVENTION: Learn and practise correct technique,
resist lifting more than your body is ready for and
persisting despite fatigue. Lifting weights that are too
heavy places muscles and joints under significantly
more strain and increases the intra-abdominal
pressure that can lead to hernia and disc problems
and can strain the heart, particularly if you hold your
breath and strain. If you feel pain, try smaller weights
and focus on technique. Vary the type of exercise and
the body area that you work on to get an all-round
workout across the week. Seek expert counsel from a
strength and conditioning coach for a safe, effective
way to overload and progresss. Less obvious injury
prevention is nutrition, which needs to support
preparation and recovery as strength gains come
from what we feed the body.