Training and Exercise Guide
Why you should warm up before training
Warm-up before training should be done not only to get blood into your muscles but also to prevent the tearing, ripping, straining and spraining, not to mention the multitude of other gruesome things that can happen to your body.
WARM-UP IS VERY IMPORTANT ... and while a practice session may incorporate a warm-up component it is vital for people who come late to be sufficiently prepared before they are committed to heavy work.
On the water, 5 minutes easy paddling followed by 5 minutes of medium effort work will be adequate, though everyone should have worked up a good sweat before turning up the intensity.
Land warm-up exercises are good including everything from push-ups and jumping jacks to a 10 minute jog, which should PRECEDE STRETCHING EXERCISES!...(stretching a muscle which has not warmed up is like pulling on a frozen rubber band). A stretching regime is a generally a good habit even in the middle of a practice, though exercises should not incorporate bouncing which promotes hyper-extension.
For training times in your area, see state webpages.
[This training and exercise guide has been adapted from the Team Manual
of Abreast in a Boat, Vancouver, Canada. Not every group in Australia's
Dragons Abreast will follow the same training regime. Please consult your
local coordinator about your team's individual training regime.] You may
also be interested in the attached article by Professor Don McKenzie (see http://www.hkin.educ.ubc.ca/faculty/mckenzied/mckenzied.htm for more information on Professor McKenzie) on the beginnings
of dragonboating for breast cancer survivors .
Objective
The objective of competing is to have fun and to demonstrate that people
can participate fully in life after breast cancer. If you are present
at the competition, you are a winner by definition. Outcome does not matter.
The degreee of satisfaction from participating, and the role model that
the paddler becomes to others living with breast cancer, far exceeds a
ribbon or medal.
Medical Concerns
There are valid contraindications to strenuous exercise. With reference
to breast cancer, it is necessary to recover adequately, both pysicially
and mentally, from the treatment phase of this disease. We recommend a
minimum of three months recovery after completion of therapy before beginning
this programme. Other reasons to avoid vigorous activity include high
blood pressure, heart or respiratory disease and severe arthritis. Certain
medications can limit your exercise capacity. Although the programme is
developed to permit adaptation to the exercises, you should check with
your family physician if you have any concerns about beginning this programme.
With specific reference to breast cancer, we must recognise several potential
problems.
1. Musculoskeletal Injury
There are risks associated with unaccustomed physical activity. Inadequate
strength and flexibility can lead to overuse injuries once the paddling
practices commence. Post surgery there may be a restricted range of motion
in the shoulder and lack of use of the chest wall and shoulder muscles
can result in a loss of strength. Thus, the physical preparation for training
takes on an especially important role for our teams. The rate of progression
of training once paddling begins should be monitored by the coach/trainer/team
leader/sweep to minimise injury to both new and more experienced members.
The more experienced members should be aware of possible limitations of
new members and encourage awareness of possible overuse of muscles.
There is tremendous variation on how team members adapt to training exercises
and paddling. Some of the variability is related to your original state
of fitness. Clearly members who exercice regularly will be less inclined
to develop a physical problem. Other factors include age, medical status,
the stage of breast cancer and its treatment, occupation, motivation and
how well you follow the program.
2. Lymphoedema
Lymphoedema is an obvious concern and for this reason compression sleeves
are strongly recommended for all paddlers. These should be worn at every
workout. The first portion of each training session emphasis flexibility
and this is followed by specific resistance exercises to develop strength
in the upper arm, back and shoulder girdle areas. These activities prepare
the arm for the paddling activiites. There is likely a higher risk of
developing lymphoedema during this initial phase of increased activity,
relative to the paddling phase. We cannot emphasise enought the need to
progress in a slow, gradual fashion. too rapid an increase in any activity
is the main factor in the development of musculoskeletal injury or a change
in your lymphoedema status. By introducing paddling in a low intensity
but progressive fashion, we gradually improve the ability of the upper
exrtremity to do more intense exercise. It is the graduated focus of the
programme that allows adaptation to this activity. We do have an excellent
track record in avoiding lymphoedema and there are some very good reasons
to believe that a supervised, graded exercise programme is an important
part of the prevention or treatment of this condition.
The bottom hand on the paddle can be injured by striking the side of
the boat. For this reason, we recommend the use of a glove for protection.
The hand and arm do get wet during practice and the water may not be as
clean as you believe. Prompt treatment of any abrasion or other injury
to the hand or fingers is necessary to avoid infection. Good hygience
and appropriate skin care is essential.
3. Hydration
The physical demands of the sport increase fluid requirements. It is
necessary to consume fluids prior to a workout, have a water bottle in
the boat during practice and drink post workout to maintain satisfactory
hydration. If the weather is particularly hot and/or humid, fluid demands
are increased substantially and hydration is even more critical. Thirst
is not a good indicator of your water needs (you are already dehydrated
by the time your are thirsty).
Water is fine for all of our rehydration purposes. If you prefer to use
a commerical sports drink, choose one with the least sugar, mineral, vitamin,
etc., additions (it will be absorbed faster). Avoid drinks containing
caffeine.
Training principles
There are four objectives of the training programme.
- A Commitment to Exercise
- Improved Flexibility
- Improved Strength
- Improved Aerobic Fitness
1. Commitment to Exercise
Involvement with this training programme throughout the entire year will
encourage the adoption of exercise into your lifestyle. This is very important
to you; there are measurable benefits to improved levels of fitness and
these include an improved immune system.
2. Flexibility
To maintain or increase flexibility, stretching exercises are recommended
and diagrams of suggested exercises are included below. Choose at least
one stretch for each major body part.
3. Strength
It is important to increase upper body strength and endurance in preparation
for the paddling phase of training. Weight training is advised and specific
exercises are listed below. Begin with a very light weight at first.
Frequency = three workouts per week.
Specific exercises
- seated row
- bench press
- lat pull
- one arm bent-over rowing
- tricep extensions
- bicep curls
- back extensions
- abdominal exercises (V-Sits - click
here for illustration)
It is important to do these exercises safely and correctly. Proper instruction
and supervision is important. If you are not familiar with these exercises
ask a fitness consultant at the gym. There is nothing fancy about this
program and knowledgeable fitness instructors will be pleased to help
you. Try to work out with a team mate; it's more fun and helps with compliance.
A sample resistance training session is as follows:
Warm-up: light aerobic activities for 5-7 minutes. This could
be a brisk walk or jog, stationary cycling with little resistance or easy
stairmaster activity. Virtually any activity that involves a large muscle
mass will work.
Stretching exercises: another 5-7 minutes of stretching will prepare
you for ...
Resistance training: Strength training is a very important ingredient
in the recipe for success in dragonboat paddling. Do 2 sets of 10 repetitions
for each exercise the first week and thereafter do 2 sets of 15 repetitions.
Do the exercises slowly in a controlled fashion. Increase the resistance
only when you are comfortable with the weight that you are using.
Cool-Down: You may wish to do a few minutes of stretching exercises
to remove some of the tension in those muscles affected by the resistance.
This page last updated:
February 21, 2008
