With the Zag Web Monkey suffering from another tweaked neck following a vicious nosedive take-off, this Thursday felt like a good time to throw you back to our Dry Docked series, which we put together with the help of health professionals; Schalk van der Merwe (biokineticist), Phil Nel (biokineticist) and Neil Zietsman (fitness expert).
We broke the series up into seven parts, focussing on different parts of our bodies that often suffer from surf-related injuries. Click the links below to visit the specific guide you’d dig to check out.
THREE STEPS TO AVOIDING ANKLE INJURIES
Surfing as we all know is richly rewarding, but we also know it can be a demanding activity – Demanding on your petrol budget, demanding on your patience while waiting out a flat spell, and of course demanding on your body. Click here to check out three steps to avoiding ankle injuries >>
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HOW TO PREVENT KNEE INJURIES
Being an ‘action sport’, surf-related injuries are something we’ll all encounter somewhere along the line – some more often than others, and one of the most common areas to be effected by a bad wipeout or heavy landing are our knees. Click here to read about avoiding knee injuries >>
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A LOOK AT NECK INJURIES
Wipeouts are part of surfing – they’re the price we pay when pushing ourselves over the limit, or simply from a lapse of concentration or control. We’ve all got a wipeout story to tell – some are just a lot more gnarly than others. From most wipeouts we pop up grinning, before stroking back out to go catch another, but every now and then you’ll feel a tweak, twist, bang or snap, which leaves you in pain. For more about neck injuries, click here >>
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LOOKING AFTER YOUR PADDLE POWER (SHOULDERS)
You’d be astonished at the distance covered by surfers while paddling out for a session, and back out for another wave, and then repeating that as many times as we can till our arms feel like noodles. Click here for more info about shoulders >>
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DEALING WITH SURFER’S ELBOW
Home to our funny bone – the humurus – our elbows are a hinge that, when injured, are no laughing matter. And despite what Bobby Martinez may think, tennis players aren’t the only athletes to suffer from ‘tennis elbow’ – surfers suffer from it too. Click here more more about Surfer’s Elbow >>
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HOW TO PREVENT CRAMPS FROM CRAMPING YOUR STYLE
It strikes at any moment, leaving you grimacing in pain as you grab at the spasming muscle with no idea how to correct the malfunction. Cramps are many surfer’s worst enemy – especially if you’re halfway through the session of your life. Click here for more about cramps >>
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TAKING CARE OF YOUR FRESH NEW REEF TATTOOS
It’s no secret that a large majority of the world’s best waves break over a coral reef racetrack. With sections of reef bearing names like ‘The Surgeons Table’ or ‘Shishkebabs’, it’s also a no-brainer that with their pleasure, comes pain. Getting barrelled at places like these come hand-in-hand with the risk of acquiring a fresh new reef tattoo. Click here to read more about treating reef cuts >>
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If you’ve got a surfing injury that needs some attention, why not try contacting one of Zag’s friendly neighbourhood biokineticists:
For KZN:
Schalk van der Merwe
schalkvandermerwe340@gmail.com
For Boland:
Philip Nel
Le Roux and Nel Biokineticists
For Cape Town:
Speak to Neil Zietsman at 3S Functional Fitness if you’re in Cape Town and looking for a good fitness intructor.
