[Paddlewise] Probably more than you wanted about exercises for paddling

On Wed. Doug Lloyd wrote:

I know Chris Duff eschewed his Nordkapp eventually, partially due to
sciatica and the fact the narrow confines of the boat helped irritate
his malady, but I haven't even got into a boat in a while and am getting
worse. Any clues? I see the doc next week. Maybe a compressed disc is
the root cause as my back is bad too.


Me:


I saw a physical therapist after a weird muscle spasm messed up my leg.
She treated it as if it were sciatica (maybe it is - I don't know) and
gave me some exercises and stretches that have kept me symptom-free for
three years now, as long as I keep up with the exercises.

The main one is to lie on my back with both knees up. I then rotate both
knees to the side until the outside one touches the floor. I go to each
side 50 times.

Another is to get on my hands and knees. I hump my back up like an angry
cat while dropping my chin to my chest. Then I lift my head and arch my
back so my belly is lower than my butt. The goal is to feel a lot of
flexibility in the spine around the pelvis. Repeat 25 times.

Another is to lie on my stomach with both hands flat on the floor under
my chest. I lift my torso using only my arms, no trunk muslces. This
stretches the pelvis area. 25 reps.

Then really serious hamstring stretches.

Three times a week I also do the whole-body stretching routine I put
into a handout a while ago. It is included below.

Jim Tibensky



Being flexible is a great thing for kayakers.  It gives you a wider
range of motion and can help prevent injuries.  This is a routine I have
used for many years with good results.  It emphasizes the hamstrings and
lower back but includes other important paddling-related parts of the
body.

A Few Ideas About Good Stretching:

Only use whatever muscles are needed for the stretch.  Relax all the
others.  For instance, in Stretch 1, below, you should not feel any
tightness in your quadriceps if you put your hands on them while doing
the stretch.  A good way to relax all your muscles other than the ones
needed for the stretch is to keep your jaw loose during the process. 
Drooling is a good sign that you are relaxed!

Keep breathing!!  Do not hold your breath during any stretch.

Hold each stretch for at least ten seconds and then increase it a
little.

Never stretch to the point of pain.  Your muscles will start to contract
in order to save the joints and you will be fighting yourself.

Some of the stretches in this routine are repetitive.  That is
deliberate, in order to give a good loosening up to important parts of
the body.

	The Routine

1.  Hamstrings.  Sit on floor.  Keep the back straight, relax the
quadriceps and lean forward.

2.  Sitting Groin.  Sitting, bring the soles of your feet together.  Put
your hands around your feet, your elbows resting on your knees.  Lean
forward with your back straight. 

3.  Deep Breaths.  Still sitting, put your left hand on your right
shoulder and vice versa.  Drop your chin to your chest and take two
HUGE, DEEP breaths.  Switch your arms and repeat.

4.  The Rack.  Lie on your back.  Extend your arms and your legs.  Reach
your hands up as far from your body as possible.  Reach down with feet. 
Relax for a few seconds and repeat.

5.  The Z.  Lie on your back.  With your hands wrapped around your right
knee, pull your right leg up into your chest.  Keep head down. 
Straighten right leg and repeat with left.  Then both knees to chest. 

6.  Leg Over Leg.  Lie on your back with your fingers interlaced behind
your head.  Put both knees into the air with your feet flat on the
floor.  Pick up your right leg and cross it over the left.  Using your
right leg, pull your left leg over toward the floor on your right.  Your
torso remains flat on the floor, your lower body twists.  Relax all the
muscles not needed for the stretch.  Put knees back in the air and
repeat with left leg over the right, pulling the lower body to the left.

7.  Back Flattener, Shoulder Pincher.  Lie on your back with your
fingers laced behind your neck,  knees in the air and feet flat on the
floor.  Tighten your butt muscles while also tightening your abs to push
the small of your back into the floor.  At the same time pinch your
shoulder blades together pushing your elbows into the floor. 

8.  The Chiropractor.  On your back with your fingers interlaced behind
your head.  Put both knees in the air, feet flat on the floor.   Using
only your arms, slowly pull your head forward until you feel a stretch. 
Be sure to relax the neck and back muscles.  Hold for ten seconds, relax
and repeat. 

9.  Modified Rack.  Lie on your back.  Extend your left arm above your
head and your right arm alongside your body.  Reach your hands in
opposite directions.  Relax for a few seconds and repeat with right arm
above head and left arm alongside.

10. Repeat Z.  Do number 5 again but this time, when pulling both knees
to the chest, lift your head to touch your knees, holding this position
for ten seconds or more.  Keep breathing.

11. Figure 4.  Lie on back.  Lift right knee to a 90 degree angle and,
using your left hand on your right thigh, pull the leg over your left
leg and pull the knee down toward the floor.  Straighten your right arm
away from the shoulder.  Keeping your head and shoulders on the floor,
look at your right hand.  Relax and switch legs and repeat.

12. Sitting 4.  Sit up.  Put the sole of your right foot into the inside
of your left knee.  Keep the left leg straight.   Put your right hand on
the outside of your left knee.  Turning your torso, reach your left hand
as far behind you as possible, pulling with the right hand and looking
over the left shoulder.  Relax, switch sides and repeat.

13. The Pretzel.  Sit up.  Put the sole of your right foot into the
inside of your left knee.  Keep the left leg straight.   Put your left
hand on your right knee.  Put your right hand on your left ankle. 
Turning your head, look behind you under your right armpit, pulling with
the right hand.  Relax, switch sides, repeat.

14. The Cat.  Get up on your hands and knees.  Bow down, keeping your
arms straight, until your elbows are touching the floor.  Your butt
should be straight up in the air. 

15. Crazy Cat.  Get up on your hands and knees.  Point your fingers
towards your knees with your 
thumbs pointing out.  Keep your palms flat and lean back until you feel
a good stretch.  Relax and repeat.

16. Sky Reach.  Sit and extend your arms overhead with your wrists
crossed and palms touching each other.  Stretch up and slightly back. 

17. Horizon Reach.  Sit and extend your arms straight out at shoulder
level, palms out, fingers locked.  

18. Dislocator.  Sit and hold your left arm across your body with a 90
degree bend in the elbow.  Using your right hand on the left elbow, pull
gently across your chest toward your right shoulder.  Relax, switch
arms, repeat.

19. Super Dislocator.  Sit and put your left arm across your chest at
shoulder level.  Wrap your right arm around the left elbow, right hand
pointing straight up.  Put your right palm onto your right cheek.   
Turn your torso to the right.  Relax, switch arms and repeat.

20. Shoulder 4.  Sit and put your arms overhead.  Hold the elbow of your
left arm with your right hand and let the left forearm dangle behind
your back.  Gently pull the left elbow behind the head.  Relax, switch
and repeat.

21. Shoulder Ultra.  Sit and reach behind your head and down as far as
possible with your left hand.  Reach your right arm behind your back and
grab the fingers of your left hand.  Hold as long as comfortable. 
Relax, switch and repeat.  If you canbt lock your fingers, use a towel
and move your hands on the towel to increase the stretch.

22. Another Sky Reach.  Sit and reach both arms overhead as far as
possible with the fingers interlaced and palms up. 

23.  Neck Stretch.  Sit and lean your head sideways toward your left
shoulder.  Reach behind you and, with your left hand, pull your right
arm down and across your back.  Relax, switch sides and repeat.

24.  Strappado.  Sit and reach behind your back and grab your wrist with
the other hand.  Lift your arms behind you while keeping your chest out
and chin in. 

25.  Repeat 1.

26.  Diagonal 4.  Sit with your legs straight out.  Put your right foot
on the outside of your left knee, bending your right leg.  Put your left
elbow on the outside of your right knee and reach back putting your
right hand on the floor as far behind you as possible.  Look over your
right shoulder.  Relax, switch and repeat.

27.  Meltdown.  Stand up.  In this order collapse slowly to the floor:
drop your head, then stoop your shoulders and back, bend at the waist,
put your hands on the floor, bend your knees.  Then, very slowly,
reverse the process until you are standing straight up again.  Breathe
throughout.


Jim Tibensky with a lot of help from Stretching by Bob Anderson, Shelter
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