Hey all
Just thought id post a few words on windsurfing fitness. As we get older each session takes its toll, aches and pains are a common occurance in this sport but i think you will agree it more than worth it. Christmas 2006 i managed to get tennis elbow which now should be named windsurfers elbow. For those who have never experienced it your lucky, i couldn't even hold a cup of coffee it was that painfull.
I went to see a doctor who suggested i give up sailing and take three months of work to help my elbows recover.No way bud, i went to see a physio at bondi junction who over a period of months they helped me bring my elbows back to strengh. However to stop this from happening again i have had to do specific excercises on my arms targeting muscle groups associated with this area.
If anything the experience has taught me that to move forward in this great sport i have had to move back to basics, and work on technique before i work on jibes ( the nemesis of most windsurfers) and other moves.
Just recently in Boards magazine ( NOV/DEC) a uk publication they have a article on windsurfing fitness its worth a read, if you like im more than happy to send you a copy. Nothing is more frustrating than sitting on the sidelines because of injury and watching everyone fly up and down botnay bay or in my case up and over ( im the catapult king ) . see you on the water

just added some more info to this article but i have posted it on windsurfing general.

Can you hold a medium sized dictionary overhand grip by the spine and extend your arm straight out in front of you?

Tightness and sorness of these muscles could be caused by latic acid, if your gripping your boom for extended periods this can have a detrimental effect.

Extend your arm out take hold of your fingers with your other arm and gently pull your fingers back to your body palm down and then palm up make sure you keep your arms straight. I also find doing hand rotations help alot. Another good excercise that will help build up your forearm muscles groups is to lie your arm extended and flat on a surface, take a light weight in your fist and gently lift up and down WHen your sailing rest your hands on the boom and pump your fingers this will help with blood circulation.

After sessions i massage my forearms, sometimes muscles tense up and they need alittle help to release, it also helps relase latic acid. i would advise seeing a specialist atleast once asthey would be able to show you these excercises.

I only know this becuase i have to do it all the time, if i dont my arms and back go as stiff as a board!

i hope this helps

Waiting4wind said...

Hi Lee1972, what are the symptoms of tennis / windsurf elbow? Mine has been quite sore lately. It hurts to bend my arm up to touch my ear. The elbow and the muscles around it feel quite tight. When i take a couple of days off it seems to get a bit better.

I've been sailing pretty much full time for the last 6 months so it's had quite a work out!

Ian thanks, not sure what it is. It hurts when arm fully extended or fully contracted (like doing a curl). But the pain is more on the inside of the elbow, the muscles and tendons near the joint.

Yep NE'ers for the next 3 days, I have had two days off, so a bit of light sailing will be OK,surely

I can attest to the "windsurfers elbow".
Like Des I have had a fair bit of sailing over the last couple of months and I found a couple of weeks ago my right elbow was getting really sore. Asked around and started doing exercises to stretch and strengthen.
Exactly what Lee suggested seemed to work quite well but after a days sailing the arm would stiffen up over night.
Now back at work I found I couldnt grip anything overhand. Finally bit the bullet and went to see my doc. Straight away he confirmed I had chronic tennis elbow and suggested a cortisone shot. I was a bit sceptical (cost and needles) but it could be bulk billed. Do it I said.
Well bugger me, if that frigging needle didnt hurt like buggery. It felt immediately better but after 30 minutes my elbow started to throb and the next morning I could even wind my car window down. Got some Nurofen Plus and this took away the throbbing but I was a cripple at work, couldnt do a bloody thing. Even using a mouse was agony. Found out from doc that sometimes the injection crystallises and the pain would last for 1-2 days.
A couple of days later its bearable and Im just hoping once it clears up the injection will have worked. Plus there is a lot of green arrows with nor-easters predicted, typical.

With fear of this sounding slighty wrong......where can we get hold of one of your balls Tim?

timford said...

www.rebelsport.com.au/

rebel sport mate! I am not sure if they are the full bore fancy one but I am sure they do the trick.

Tim, thanks, I'm going to get one of these asap. I was also told that icing every night and a neoprene forearm muscle brace helps a lot.

Cheers Tim, will go and get one of those.

Just a couple of things that might be relevant. I found that the few times I've tried to wear gloves due to the cold, or even sometimes a watch can do it too, my forearms up to my elbows become locked up and painful after a while on the water.
The only other obvious thing to mention is that if you're feeling the pain in one arm on one tack then it's likely that your lines aren't quite in the right place. Correct adjustment and line length and you should be able to hang on with just the finger tips....that's the theory anyway!

Just been trawling the net found these site's, check you tube out to as there are stacks of clips with treatment techniques


htt.about.com/cs/elbow/a/tenniselbow_2.htm

Its now Friday and I had the injection on Tuesday arvo.
Yesterday afternoon I could start letting my arm hang straight down and I started to gently stretch the tendon out.
This morning my arm is almost free of the pain and I can stop thinking before I make any type of movement, eg/ go to pick up the phone with right hand.
Touch wood, it seems to be working and the symptoms I had before the injection have faded.
I dont know how long it lasts but after poo pooing the injection Id have to go with Lee and agree.
My 2 bob's worth.