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At Last - Hands Free Kayaking Using Foot Pedals
Hobie Cat's new Mirage kayak turns the kayaking world on its head with a system that keeps boaters' hands free. The new technology is sure to change how people look at kayaking. Hobie Cat is one of the world's top kayak makers. The...

Diet and Exercise – Without Going to the Gym
Exercising and dieting are tasks that are very difficult for many of us, but usually just the thought of it that makes us queasy. There are some simple ways to get out and get fit, and you just might enjoy yourself too. Some people like to get...

Exercise Basics
Exercise Basics by Karen Skidmore, ATC With all the nutrition and fitness hype around these days, how do you know what is correct and what isn't? The intentions of this article are to help you identify factual and effective information...

I Hope it Rains in Heaven
I've been hunting for as long as I can remember. The first hunt I ever went on with my dad, he had to change my diapers. My first real hunting memory is sitting on a tree stand and snuggling under my dad's coat. To this day, I can still smell the...

The 5 Biggest Myths About Treating Premature Ejaculation and Lasting Longer in Bed
Copyright 2005 Mukee Okan Ever been confused by all the overwhelming information and different strategies to cure premature ejaculation? Let me show you the top 5 misleading suggestions I've uncovered on the web. Many common 'solutions' to...

 
Ready, Steady, Crocked

The motorway was hell, your dinner was in the dog, but by some superhuman effort involving changing in a telephone booth, you just about made it to the sports centre on time. You've had a bad day, you want to hit something, but you couldn't find the traffic warden, so it will have to be a shuttle. And now…you're raring to go.

You strip off the tracksuit, select your favourite racquet (hopefully a Prince) and step onto court for a ‘knock' – just to warm you up. Jim whacks one up and you, forgetting that you're not playing for the Town Hall clock, in fact not even playing, leap backwards and hit a clear, exercising a perfect scissor kick just like your coach taught you. Magic.

Regrettably, the twang you hear next is not the sound of your sweet spot connecting with the shuttle, but rather that of your Achilles tendon snapping as your foot hits the ground. No more badminton for a while then; but, hey, no more motorway either, unless you drive an automatic.

The moral of this story is that a knock up is a knock up, not a warm-up. Badminton is a physically demanding sport and the better you are the harder it will be. (Assuming that your opponents are of a similar


standard). Whilst it is true that most club players do not warm up, it is also true that many of them pick up injuries, particularly as they begin to age. Many years ago I recall writing a newspaper article in which I described a veteran pair as ‘one bandage short of a full set'.

Research as early as the seventies highlighted that calf injuries are common in badminton, especially with the over 35s. Shoulder injuries are also common. Not all injuries are accidental; many result from overuse or bad technique (or both). There is a wealth of information available on warm-up and stretching, but I will write about warming up for badminton in the future. A few minutes warming up, light jogging, sidestepping, and some stretching, could save you a lot of money on bandages.

You only get one body; look after it.

Brian Mantel







About The Author



Brian Mantel

www.funkyfogey.com

The website for the active, healthy and wealthy over 50 age group.

customerservices@funkyfogey.com








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