Fitness for Pickleball

FITNESS FOR PICKLEBALL MARCH 2010

GOT BACK PAIN? Stand Up Straight and Save Your Back

Are you suffering from back pain?  This is a very complex issue.  I hear from many of you during tournaments about pulled back muscles.  There are so many reasons for back pain, but I will (out of necessity and writing space) reduce some information to the very basics.

Postural alignment is a huge issue for anyone over 50.  If you are bent forward with a forward head, your back and neck muscles are on stretch and working overtime to hold you upright.  Picture the “Leaning Tower of Pisa”.  Do you look like that?  Problem: you cannot use your back and front muscles EQUALLY to power your PB shots.  You are mostly using your front muscles.  Gravity is attacking us 24/7; we sit, drive, walk and play PB leaning forward.  We never stretch the other way (extension instead of flexion).  Look in the mirror, what do you see? Over use syndrome occurs when your back muscles weaken and the front muscles shorten.  Consequently, you are straining your back almost every shot you make in PB.

Here are two ways to help you accomplish good postural alignment.

Sit on the edge of a stable bench or chair.  Place your hands behind you and grab something to hold on to like the back of the seat.  Pull your shoulders back and pinch your blades (scapula) together.  Lift your chest toward the ceiling, drop your chin.  Inhale deeply into your chest muscles to relax them, exhale, pull your navel in toward your back (getting an abdominal workout good for stabilizing your back).Goal; stretch your front; strengthen your back and deep abdominal muscles.

Standing: reach your hands behind your back and interlace your fingers.  Slide your hands down below your buns.  Pinch your shoulders back and down.  Follow the above breathing.  Do this exercise as often as possible.

Now that you are standing up straight, grab 2 filled water bottles.  Hold them in front of you with straight arms parallel to the floor; squeeze your blades together 25 times while holding the bottles in front of you to challenge and strengthen your mid back.

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TIP OF THE MONTH:  Are you plagued by pesky foot and leg cramps?  Information compliments of Mike Deaton.  Take a tablespoon of mustard (any kind) or pickle juice for the cramps.  Carry mustard with you to tournaments.  Just ask Rose from San Diego or Juanita of Karl and Juanita about their results with mustard.