How does the leg's
skeletal-muscle structure govern your body's movement? Muscles run from
one bone to another, spanning one or more joints. The muscle itself
does not attach to the bone, but rather uses a cable-like bridge called
a tendon.
Any means of propulsion, be it hiking, biking or in-line skating, requires
the complex harmonized cooperation of muscle, tendon and joint. When
you ask a body part to move, one muscle (agonist) contracts, while its
opposing partner muscle (antagonist) relaxes. These simultaneous actions
work together to prevent extreme joint movement, conserve energy, improve
efficiency, prolong endurance and reduce impact.
A healthy athlete maintains this balance. However, if either muscle
of a pair becomes stronger than its partner, the likelihood of injury
to the muscles, tendons and connected joints increases. Muscle-pair
imbalance is one of the most common underlying reasons for athletic
injury.
Everyday activities such as walking, sitting and lifting tend to promote
muscle imbalance, which is all the more reason to commit to a serious
workout regimen before doing something like embarking on an active vacation.
Consider one of the biggest muscle pairs in your legs--the quadriceps
and hamstrings. When you move your thigh forward, the muscle at the
front of your thigh (quadriceps) shortens, much like a rubber band,
to move the big bone (the femur). As it shortens, the muscle that attaches
your knee to your buttocks (the hamstring) relaxes. When equally strong,
these muscles harmonize to keep the knee functioning to its maximum
potential. Most people, however, have an imbalance between these two
muscles in favor of the quadriceps.
It's also important to stretch your muscles. Hiking, biking and in-line
skating can call upon both types of muscle fiber--fast-twitch for burst-type
speed activity such as hoisting your body up onto a boulder from one
foot, and slow-twitch for activity such as cruising flat miles on a
bike. Stretching improves the efficiency of fast- and slow-twitch muscle
types by reducing shortness and tightness and extending the range of
motion of the joints to which the muscles attach.
Muscles become injured for many reasons, including poor technical skills,
exposure to the cold, incomplete warm up, dehydration, and overuse and
fatigue. To combat injury, pay close attention to exercise instruction,
dress appropriately for the weather, always warm up before beginning
an activity, and rehydrate frequently--even if you're not thirsty.
Although it's often an injury site due to improper stretching, Achilles
pain can be abated by elevating the heel in the shoe or boot. Injuries
to this area are common and disastrous. Heel pain should be treated
much more seriously than other aches and pains of overuse. Altering
the stress by improving technique can relieve muscle soreness, as can
minor adjustments in equipment. If a limp or obvious swelling occurs,
your body is trying to tell you something.
HAMSTRINGS
Hiking, biking and skating tend to increase quadricep strength, leaving
you with proportionately weaker hamstrings. The hamstrings are more
vulnerable to injury when they are overpowered by the quadriceps. If
you have access to a gym with a hamstring curl weight machine, work
this exercise into your circuit. If you work out at home without machines,
the following exercises will help strengthen this muscle group.
Hamstring Stretch
Stand with your feet together and extend one leg out in front of you
with the heel resting on the floor. Place your hands on the thigh of
the other leg, bend the knee slightly and lean forward keeping your
back rounded. Lift the toes of the extended leg and lean over until
you feel a good stretch. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds. Repeat with opposite
leg.
Standing Hamstring
Curl
Stand on one leg with the knee slightly bent. Hold on to a wall or the
back of a chair for balance. Keep your abdominal muscles pulled in,
and be sure to stand up straight. Slowly bend the free leg up toward
your buttocks, keeping your foot flexed, then slowly straighten your
leg. Beginners: two sets of 10 on each leg. Intermediates: two sets
of 20 on each leg. Advanced: two sets of 30 on each leg.
QUADRICEPS
If the hamstring
muscle is stronger and contracts more easily than the quadriceps can
relax, the knee remains slightly flexed all the time and these muscles
must then work harder, delivering that familiar thigh burn that soon
demands rest.
Standing Quad Stretch
Stand on one foot, keeping the knee of the leg you're standing on slightly
bent. Grab the foot of the free leg and slowly pull it back toward your
buttocks. Be sure to keep your abdominals pulled in, and avoid twisting
the knee or leaning. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds, then repeat with opposite
leg.