Triathlons – A Good Idea If You Release!

Triathlons – a good idea if you release!

Are you a weekend warrior who’s signed up to any or all of the Gatorade Series Triathlons? Working long, hard hours in the office then matching it with just as many hours in the water/on the bike/hitting the pavement? If you are, you might be experiencing pain or injures related to the various postures that are required to compete in these multidisciplinary events.

The three different events within a Triathlon involve very different postures and work different muscle groups, requiring a varied range of motion from the joints. Swimming requires good upper back extension and hip extension in order to maintain a stable low back and shoulder girdle. Cycling involves lots of hip and upper back flexion, as well as good core/lower back control. Finally, triathletes are expected to finish with running, which requires good core/lower back control, a combination of good hip flexion and hip extension range. So you essentially need to go from an extended posture using the arms to a flexed posture using the legs, then back into a stable neutral spine posture with good range and control into both hip flexion and extension…

What we see a lot of at Pure, is triathletes who are also working hard at their jobs and spending 8+ hours a day sitting at a desk, which is again in a flexed hip position and more often than not (incorrectly) in thoracic (upper back) flexion. Then come the injuries in the shoulders, upper back, lower back, hips and knees etc. which often stem from tension and stiffness that builds up from spending a lot of time in hip flexed postures (sitting at a desk, sitting on a bike) and then trying to extend for swimming/running, only to compensate in other parts of the body.

At Pure Physio, we take a proactive approach with triathletes who present with injuries, by teaching them how to mobilise correctly and safely. This helps them to avoid any issues caused by poor posture at work or in training. We do a lot of stretching and foam roller release work, and additionally a lot of manual therapy and hands on release is required to achieve the movement required for this type of complex sport.