Trail hiking is an excellent way to improve fitness throughout the year and New England, specifically Massachusetts, has several opportunities for day hikes, short and long. Trip planning and safety are important to having an enjoyable day.

Just a few things to consider in preparing for any hike:

• Consider the strength of your party and chose hikes that are appropriate for your physical abilities - the overall distance, amount of climbing and roughness of the terrain.
• Get a weather report and pay attention to the weather throughout the day - weather is different in the lowlands compared to higher up - prepare for the worst possible conditions and be prepared to change itinerary if necessary.
• Plan to start your hike as early in the day as possible - be aware of sunrise and sunset - always let someone know your route and when you expect to be back, especially for longer hikes.
• Consider the season and have appropriate clothing and supplies - keep in mind that trails in spring may have ice or mud, autumn trails may be covered with slippery leaves that can also hide rocks or roots. Winter hiking, with hazards of snow and cold, requires additional preparation and novice hikers should always be accompanied by more experienced trekkers.
• Be prepared to know what to do if you encounter backcountry hazards - your cell phone may not be functional in the woods, so always know your location. A great resource for hiking is the Massachusetts Trail Guide, Appalachian Mountain Club's Comprehensive Guide to Hiking Trails in Massachusetts, available for purchase at REI or Easter Mountain Sports, or check out availability at your local library. REI and EMS often run local workshops on hiking safety, so check out the websites:  REI.com and emsoutdoors.com.
• Adequate equipment varies according to the length of the hike, weather and terrain. For most hikes, hiking boots are preferred as they provide better traction and ankle support. Good things to consider having in your back pack for a day hike include guidebook/maps, water bottle, compass, pocketknife, rain gear, wind breaker, wool pullover, waterproof matches, enough food, first aid supplies, whistle, sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent, safety pins, trash bag, toilet paper/tissue, flashlight or headlamp with extra batteries/spare bulb.
• Know your route, stay on the trail and be prepared for what to do if you get lost. Multiple hikers in a group should stay in sight of one another, careful not to allow someone in your group to get too far ahead or lag too far behind.

Enjoying the beautiful outdoors and staying fit can enhance our quality of life. New England has so many beautiful places to see, many resources are available through the Appalachian Mountain Club, The Sierra Club, the Trustees of Reservations and your local town trails committee. So, take a hike, have fun and stay safe.

Over 79 million students in America carry a backpack and an estimated 55% are carrying a backpack that is too heavy. That is more than 43 million students who could be doing damage to their bodies over many years with repetitive poor postures.

Incorrect wear of backpacks and bookbags can also contribute to musculoskeletal problems including pain in the neck, back and shoulders and lead to dysfunctional posture. Making sure our children wear their backpacks properly can help prevent pain and postural issues.

Backpack tips:

1. Start with lightweight material - make sure the material is light and durable.
2. Make sure the shoulder straps are wide and padded. This will provide support and prevent the straps from becoming too tight.
3. The back of the backpack should have padding. This will provide additional support and prevent discomfort.
4. A waist strap is beneficial, so the bag does not slide. That way, the contents are held closer to the child's body.
5. Both straps should be worn at all times. Wearing both straps can help distribute the weight more evenly and prevent your child from leaning to one side.
6. There should be multiple compartments. That way, it will be easier to evenly distribute the weight of the contents. The heaviest items should be packed low and to the center of the bag.
7. The backpack with contents should only be 15% of the child's bodyweight. For example, if the child weighs 59 lbs, the backpack with contents should only weigh about 9 lbs.

IS THE SUN OUT FINALLY? AND STAYING OUT? YAY SUMMER !!

Here are some smart tips while staying active outdoors...….

First is proper shoe wear. Yeah, the flip flops and sandals look great but if you are going for a good walk especially along the beach or uneven surfaces, proper shoe wear is a must. Injury caused by inappropriate shoes can needlessly derail your fitness/outdoor activity. Investing in a quality shoe can help you prevent foot and ankle damage and make your outdoor workout a more pleasant and comfortable experience. Try wearing a sneaker with good arch support and yes they make them stylish! If you really want to wear flip flops or sandals try to find a good brand that provides good arch support such as New Balance, Dr. Scholl's, Vionic, Aeroothotic, Rockport or Teva to name a few.

Second is wearing sunscreen. It does not matter how dark your skin is or how well you tan. The ozone layer is depleting and your body needs shielding from harmful rays. Skin cancer rates are on the rise and sunscreen has been proven to decrease the development of skin cancer. It helps to prevent facial brown spots and skin discolorations. It also helps slow down the development of wrinkled and premature aging skin. Spray on sunscreen is great for the outdoor enthusiast and should be reapplied every two hours in daytime sunlight.

Third is proper hydration. Water is essential for maintaining blood circulation throughout the body and maintains body temperature. As you exercise, your metabolism and your internal body temperature increase. Water carries heat away from your internal organs before serious damage occurs, which can lead to heat stroke. The heat travels through your bloodstream to your skin, causing you to sweat. As the sweat evaporates, this allows you to cool off and maintain a safe body temperature, optimal functioning and health. Try to drink before exercise, during and after exercise. If you exercise in extreme heat or for more than one hour, supplement water with a sports drink that contains electrolytes that contain 6-8% carbohydrates.

So use these helpful tips to enjoy the outdoors, stay fit and safe!

Flaherty Physical Therapy has been busy conducting Functional Movement Systems (FMS) Screens to a few local community groups including the Melican Middle School football team and a running group in preparation for the fall Applefest road race. FMS screening is a series of seven quick movement tests designed with the purpose of identifying individuals who are at risk for injury or who are attempting to maintain or increase activity level. This testing can help identify areas of weakness, muscle imbalances or certain deficits in mobility. Skilled Physical Therapists are then able to help address these deficits with exercise or skilled interventions to help avoid injury. And of course, we had some fun while doing it!

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We were able to provide the participants with guided exercises after the screening to help target their areas of weakness and then gave them handouts so they could follow along on their own at home. A few common trends that we found amongst most were tight hamstrings among the middle school football players and weak core stability. There was room for improvements in squatting mechanics and core strength amongst the running group as well. We look forward to continuing to perform these screens in the neighboring communities to help people achieve their maximum success and avoid injury.

It is every parent’s nightmare to watch their kid get injured on the sports field. How bad is the injury? Will they be able to play in time for their next game, or the playoffs? What is the next step to take to help speed their recovery? And how will this affect them in the long run?

We see this all the time in the clinic. 20 years ago, the student athlete might have been out for the season. Now, combinations of treatment, rest, recovery and supervised return to sports has allowed many student athletes to get back on the field much faster and safer.

Our first round of care many times involves a little rest and ice. We follow the acronym:

R.I.C.E.

• Rest. Resting the injured area and taking a few days off from usual sporting activities allows the injury time for healing.
• Ice. Ice is a simple way to help reduce pain and swelling. Following an injury, it is a good idea to apply ice for 15-20 minutes, 2-4 times a day on and off during the first 24-48 hours.
• Compression. Compressing the area with a snug wrap, compression sleeve or brace can help protect the area.
• Elevation. Too much swelling can negatively affect healing. Elevating the injured area will help reduce the amount of swelling in the area to better improve on recovery.

Some injuries however, need a little more TLC to heal quickly and correctly. If your kid’s pain has not resolved in a few days’ time, it is a good idea to schedule an appointment to see your Physical Therapist. They can perform an evaluation and help decide the correct course of action to take to start recovery, as well as activities to avoid preventing further injury. They are trained in techniques to help reduce pain, resolve swelling, improve motion and strengthen correctly to allow your child to get back to their favorite sport in a gradual and safe manner. They will also work closely with the primary care doctor and team trainer to make sure that the athlete’s recovery is going well.

Injury rates among adolescents are rising as it is becoming more common for kids these days to specialize in one sport year-round. Year round training many times leads to overuse injuries as the athletes repeat the same patterns of movement all year round. Overuse injuries are more common among 12-16 years of age due to skeletal immaturity, growth spurts and general body weakness.

Many recent studies have also shown that there is a lot of benefit from participating in different sports and activities throughout the course of the year to prevent these injuries and promote different patterns of movement. This is another good way to avoid the same repetitive movements that often come with playing the same sport all year long. For example, a soccer player that plays outdoors in the spring, club in the summer, fall town or high school leagues and then indoor during the winter. What if that soccer player could ski in the winter instead of playing indoor?

Either way, at least one month off from active, competitive sports is a general rule of thumb. Usually after the competition season, a month (or even 2!) of active rest is usually what each growing body needs. “Active” rest means that they can work out, swim, rock climb, bike ride, etc. during that period. Something completely different to allow their body to recover and use other muscles it does not normally use.

So, remember the R.I.C.E. principle with any sprain. Think about how your student athlete is training and how can you make sure that the student athlete gets proper rest during the year. Finally, whether it is another muscle strain that has your child sitting out from a sporting event or a more reoccurring ache/pain that has been nagging them, it is a good idea to have them seen by your Physical Therapist to get them back on the right track and improve their athletic performance.

Now that spring is here, it is time to get outside and get moving. A simple walking program, as the example below, may be the best aerobic activity to start with, especially if you haven’t been particularly active.

It’s always best to start with slow short walks and gradually increase your frequency, time and intensity. Usually we go out and try to do way too much, too fast. This is the best way to fail your well-intentioned program. First, take things slowly. You should try to go out the first few times and feel like you have completed some walking, but make sure you are not out of breath, exhausted or really sore. Take your time and accomplish finishing the walk feeling good, not above!

Once you can walk a distance without much strain, you can vary the intensity by walking hills, increasing your pace or swinging your arms more. Your goal is to be active about an hour a day.
Adapt this program to suit your needs. lf it is too easy, pick it up a bit. lf it’s too hard, back off. Variety may help – pick two days out of the week for longer walks and have the rest of the walks be shorter. lf you can’t start out walking 15 minutes, start with what you can do and work up from there.

As always, check with your physical therapist or your doctor before starting new programs. Some times integrating into your program some passive or active stretching can help to loosen you up prior to your walk. By doing this, it warms your body up, helps to get your breathing going a bit and can also help to prevent injuries by being looser before you walk.

Good luck and never hesitate to reach out to your physical therapist to learn other ways to get your body started in a walking program!

Adapted from the book “The Mayo Clinic Diet” by the weight-loss experts at Mayo Clinic

It is that snowy time of year where shoveling is, unfortunately, a chore that needs completing. There are, however, some strategies that can help you best avoid back injuries that often come with shoveling.

Shovel. It is important to pick the right snow shovel. The best type of shovel to help avoid stress on the back is one that is lightweight to avoid increased repetitions of heavy lifting and moving. A shovel with an adjustable handle or curved handle will also help reduce the amount of bending needed.

Preparation. Another good idea is to warm up before you go out to shovel. Warm, flexible and loose muscles are less likely than cold, tight muscles to become injured. A few minutes of walking, marching in place, and some dynamic stretches or even calisthenics to target the muscles is a good way to get the body ready for more strenuous activity such as shoveling.

Ergonomics. Use good lifting techniques. Avoid bending from the back, and instead bend your knees and lift from your legs. Avoid twisting your back and if you must lift the shovel, keep it close to your body to avoid extending your arms to throw the snow. Try to avoid throwing snow from your shovel to different areas. It is always less strain to the back when the snow is thrown closer to you instead of farther away. We always think that the less loads we do, the faster we get things done.  Well, when the snow is wet and heavy, heavy loads lead to higher chances of strain. Lighten your loads and do twice as many. This over time helps to protect the back instead of strain it.

Pacing.  As we get older, we generally think like we were back in our 20's. It was nothing for us to shovel the driveway when we were 20 in 20 minutes. Well, as we get older, we need to make sure we pace ourselves properly, so we don't hurt ourselves. Taking some breaks and resting throughout the process is always a good idea. Making sure we are hydrated also is important. Having a tall glass of water beforehand will keep you properly hydrated.

Recovery. Afterwards, make sure you change out of the wet clothes and heat up your body with a nice warm shower. While in the shower, move your body with the heat to stretch yourself out. Shoulders back, neck rotations, mild lumbar bending, etc. are movements that you can do that will help slowly stretch out those muscles that are tight from shoveling.