The Top Seven Ways to Avoid Having to Sit Out Bowls This Summer
What does a Chiropractor know about playing lawn balls? Well, quite frankly not a lot. I played quite a few times when I was practicing in New Malden and I’ve also played and watched a couple of times at West Byfleet where we sponsor the team.
But if you ask me in terms of technique and ability, I wouldn’t have the foggiest. In terms of the biomechanics and what is needed to keep a bowls player fit, mobile and actively playing the game for a long period of time, then I’ve worked with many bowls players over the years from New Malden, across Surrey and in West Byfleet.
There are a few fundamental points that need to be addressed to in order to keep someone fit and playing pain-free bowls:
Balance This is important as your body is going to be lopsided because you have a weight in one hand and, you’re getting low to the floor. It is vital that balance is stable through both sides of the body and to not let one side drop over when the leg is planted to bowl.
Working on your balance to make sure when you lunge forwards, your body doesn’t topple over and also this helps with the accuracy as well.
One of the best skills for balance would be to do a bird dog position or a dead bug. You can find about more of those here on YouTube.
- Strength Getting strength in your lower body keeps you upright, prevents you from collapsing over and allows the ball to stay straight and it also allows you to get the ball up the other end.
This is vitally important to give you power and to keep your joints strong as well, so you’re not putting too much pressure on your hips and knees. One of the most common reasons that our clients come to us is because their mobility in their knees and hips is poor and they cannot get low enough to bowl.
Strength does not mean going to the gym and lifting weights the whole time. It is merely getting balance between joints and ensuring that things are working well. Upper body strength is as important as lower body strength, so you are even through your body.
Have a look at this exercise that we use for strength through the hips and then check this one out for upper body strength as well to help improve shoulder mobility when you’re carrying the ball.
- Co-ordination Syncing up your legs and your arms and knowing where your body is in space is vitally important. The same drills that will help to get you in a better position, to help you with your timing. It’s all about hitting the ground with one foot and then providing that stability to follow through to improve accuracy as well. Follow these drills here for more coordination tips.
- Water Keep yourself hydrated. I know it sounds simple but bowls is often taking place in 30-degree heat and if anything like last summer, 2022, those three months of unbelievable heat. Keeping your body hydrated keeps the muscles supple. It keeps the joints stay supple as well and hydrated. It allows you to take pressure off those areas.
- Stretching Using stretching to help with mobility through the lower joints before and after a game is a great way to help get yourself mobilised. A lot of people will say bowls is not an active sport. I will disagree with this as you’re moving around in positions that you don’t normally move into. It’s important you do stretch beforehand and ensuring that you warm down afterwards.
- Ice Ice therapy is important after bowls to soothe aching joints. Putting ice packs on knees, hips, ankles, or your lower back will help to alleviate any inflammation that can be brought up in the game.
- Chiropractic treatment As I said, we have seen hundreds of bowls players in the past five years since we set up in West Byfleet and I saw almost a whole team when we were based in New Malden.
Thank you to the president for sending all his friends and family and bowls members in. All have a very similar goal. They want to stay fit, mobile, and active long term. They love playing bowls not just for the competition but for the social aspect of it and believe you me, when I’ve been down to a bowls club, there’s no party like a bowls club party. Everybody knows everyone. It’s a lovely atmosphere.
Yes, there’s competitiveness but it’s also a great place to be. Chiropractic care allows you to keep your body in a good position. It keeps the joints supple, the back in an upright place so you can keep on being active and playing bowls long term.
What we treat at West Chiropractic:
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