As the winter solstice nears, the days grow darker. Along with these dimly lit times, the weather cools down and brings rain. Fog shows it’s face and lack of sunlight to leaves dampness on the ground from the previous night’s precipitation. With lack of light in the evenings, we humans don’t have the nighttime vision of nocturnal animals like mice or owls. This introduces a climate of low visibility and a terrain with a slippery surface. For bipedal organisms walking on two feet, like the general population around Napa, we now have a perfect recipe for a risk of slipping, tripping, or worst off, falling. We can relate this type of slick, dimly lit environment to ice skating in the dark.
Remaining indoors to avoid the cold weather and stay dry is an effective way to avoid illness. However, decreased physical activity can negatively impact our bodies. It would benefit our bodies optimally by continuing to brave this cold, bleak time of year. One of the best ways to fend off the threat of slipping and falling in terrain-altering conditions is to train the body to perform in slippery, dark environments. Similar to how a snow athlete would train to perform in cold and snowy conditions, the general population should utilize strength and balance training to perform optimally during this wet time of year. Here are some examples of a few techniques to decrease the likelihood of injuries from falling, tripping, or a losing balance:
- Perform static balance exercises: This is an effective technique to help people maintain balance. Balance is critical for techniques requiring us to stabilize our limbs while dynamically stepping or walking. Such as stepping off curbs or skillfully stepping over puddles. A simple and effective static balance exercise is to stand on one foot while the other is elevated in the air for 15 to 30 seconds. We recommend to our personal training clients in the Napa Valley to start off safely by standing next to an object to put their hand on, such as a wall. To make this exercise more challenging, take your hand off of the wall and stand on one leg unassisted. The next step would be to stand on one leg with your eyes closed.
- Increase your foot stride length and height: The winter weather introduces puddles and dark environments. This decreases visibility which could lead to the need to step over puddles. What if you accidentally clip an uneven part of the ground or there is some debris on the ground that can’t be seen? Walking mechanics with effective foot height and stride length decrease the likelihood of such obstacles effecting our ability to move in dark and wet environments. To build stride mechanics, try marching in place. Focus on maintaining an upright torso and alternate knees in a marching fashion. Ensure that knees raise at least to hip height each march. Perform about 20 repetitions each leg.
- Improve Posture and Strength: Having strong and inline posture helps the torso to stay up right. Most importantly, optimal posture allows the head to be upright. As the neck is upright, we have better frontal vision which helps us predict hazards that impede our forward movement. Poor, droopy posture in when the head is tilted down limits our ability to see what’s happening in front of us. This introduces the threat of missing what is occurring in front of us and avoiding a possible fall threat. The simple plank movement is one of the most effective exercises to improve postural strength. To perform, lay face down on the floor. Extend your arms and legs to where you are “planked out” on the ground and hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Ensure not to allow the hips to sag and avoid any technique flaws that cause lower back pain. This exercise safely and effectively targets the neck, shoulder, core, lower back, hip, ankles and knee joints. If you’re not sure how to improve your posture and where to start, the plank exercise is one of the best places to start.
The cold, gloomy winter weather can introduce threats of falling. However, to be productive in our everyday lives, we can’t let a little darkness and water slow us down. There are plenty of gifts to be acquired to give to our loved ones as we do our holiday shopping. Lots of hot chocolate and cookies need to be consumed on the Santa Wine Train with our kids. Don’t forget all the beautiful lights that we only get to walk around and see this unique time of year. Take advantage of this breath-taking time of year and exercise to prevent the threat of falling so we can enjoy the traditional holiday outdoor activities.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
