Whether you’ve spent many a winter in the Midwest, or this is your first time living through snow fall, we can all agree on one thing –outside in the bone-chilling, shiver-inducing cold is not a fun place to be.
We lose access to many of our favorite outdoor activities once the sun starts to set earlier and the temperatures start to drop. An eighteen-hole golf course gets relegated to practice swings in the basement, the baseball glove gets thrown in the shed, and we trade the trail runs for treadmills.
When spring and summer roll back around and we feel the sunshine on our skin once more, we can’t jump back into the same activity level we were at before we began our hibernation period. We must care for our bodies and build our strength back up.
We spoke with ORA Orthopedics Sports Medicine Physician Dr. J.C. Clark about safely exercising this season, and compiled a list of places around Bettendorf to help you meet your goals.
Replenish Your Vitamins
“The thing I worry about the most actually in the Midwest, is we’re getting less sunlight. Our calcium and vitamin D levels can actually drop,” said Dr. Clark. “So a lot of us coming into spring, have lower bone mineral density, lower calcium and vitamin D levels.”
Dr. Clark recommended replenishing nutrients by ensuring your diet has enough vitamin D and calcium. For over-the-counter supplements, he suggested glucosamine chondroitin, turmeric, or tart cherry juice.
One of the best sources of vitamins is free for us all: sunlight. When we get one of those glorious spring and summer days with a cloudless sky and bountiful sun, make sure to get out and absorb some of those nutrients. The disc golf course at Middle Park is an easy form of exercise in a beautiful, outdoor environment. If you’re looking for something a little more strenuous, Genesis HealthBeat outdoor fitness system on Duck Creek Parkway Trail has nine stations suited for all levels of fitness.
Reintroduce Stress Slowly
“Every time we work out, we’re breaking down tissue, whether that’s muscle when we’re lifting weights or possibly bone as we’re doing weight-bearing exercises. It’s that off-time, that recovery process, where our muscles and bones are repaired and regenerated,” said Dr. Clark. “If we’re putting too much load or stress on muscles or bones without giving the proper time for recovery, that’s where you get overuse injuries such as stress fractures.”
A gradual increase in workload matters when your body isn’t used to a strenuous workout. You run the risk of soreness and injury if you ramp up too quickly. Whether you’re starting exercise from the beginning or wanting to get back into it after a break, you don’t want to push the intensity harder than your body can handle.
A great strategy for avoiding injury is to follow a set program or work with a professional. For example members of the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley have access to their eGym equipment at the Utica Ridge and Bettendorf Locations. You initially set up a program with a trainer to establish your experience level and goals. When you are set to begin your workout, each machine tells you how many reps you should perform, what weight you should use, and how intense the exercise should be. This ensures a safe, progressive overload that strengthens your muscles and protects your bones.
Begin Your Cardio Journey Indoors
A tell-tale sign of spring and summer arriving in Iowa is always seeing more people walking, running, and biking outside. Who doesn’t love some cardio in the fresh air?
Don’t ditch the treadmill too quickly. With Bettendorf situated right next to the Mississippi River, there is a lot of hilly terrain in our area. Attempting more difficult trails before you’re ready may take your sedentary winter into a sedentary summer, too.
Dr. Clark explained how our body experiences the stress from walking and running:
“Every time you take a step, there’s a ground reaction force that goes all the way up your lower extremity. Some of that force is being absorbed by your bones, but also some of that force is being absorbed by your muscles.” To ensure each step doesn’t put too much stress on your bones, you’ll need to increase your muscle strength, first.
If you have never been much of a runner, consider jumping on an exercise bike or an elliptical at places like the Bettendorf Life Fitness Center for some low-impact cardio. Once your body acclimates to that level of aerobic exercise, try walking, and then running, on their 1/8 mile indoor track.
When you’ve trained enough indoors, you can venture out into the sunshine. Bettendorf has 16 miles of separated trails and 13 miles of recreational trails. The investment in these trails, along with 7 miles of bike lanes, Bettendorf is listed in the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community. Check out the Bettendorf Trails Network map at Bettendorf.org.
Prepare Your Upper Body Too
We start to see a lot more activity in the warmer months that utilizes the upper body. Don’t neglect those extremities when strengthening your body in preparation.
“With any sort of racket, club, or bat-type sport, I would recommend using what’s called a Theraband to do exercises to strengthen your rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is a very important set of muscles that stabilizes the shoulder joint,” said Dr. Clark. “I’d also incorporate exercises to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, like the obliques.”
Yoga can help strengthen your upper body in a relaxing way without putting a ton of stress on your muscles and bones. Try a class at Tapas Hot Yoga, Hotworx, or Bettendorf School of Yoga. The improved flexibility will help you recover from strenuous exercise, too.
If you’ve yet to start a racket or club sport but have been interested in trying it out, the Bettendorf Life Fitness Center hosts daily pickleball games as well as tournaments and pickleball parties throughout the year. Or you could check out a Bettendorf golf course, like Palmer Hills or Hidden Hills, to get in some easy and entertaining movement.
Dr. J.C. Clark, ORA Orthopedics
Move it or Lose It
Dr. Clark’s biggest piece of advice? Never stop moving.
“If you don’t move it, you’re going to lose it,” he said. “Motion is lotion.” The “lotion” he is referring to is the synovial fluid in our joints. This lubricant is produced every time you move your joints.
If you don’t have some type of condition that prevents you from exercise, it will help you to stay strong and mobile. Find a local fitness class at a Bettendorf gym, search for free exercise videos on YouTube, or jump in the pool at the YMCA. Determine what type of exercise you enjoy the most and keep moving all year long.
