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Movement Improvement: Get ready for Tahoe activity

Jessica Monaloy
Movement Improvement

Camelbak (check), water (check), snacks (check), extra layers (check), bike/paddleboard/hiking boots/running shoes (check).

You’re getting ready to head out the door to hit the trails or the water in whatever way you choose to enjoy our beautiful South Lake Tahoe area today and want to make sure you’re ready to go. We all go through the mental checklist. So, you’re prepared for anything that can happen out there … but are you?

What about getting your body ready for the physical part of the activity? I’m sure we all remember gym class or high school sports, when the coach ran us through stretches, warm-ups and drills. Well, there was a reason for that. Our muscles need to be prepped for the activity we’re asking them to perform, especially if we’ve just started our day or have been sitting for a while.



Research has shown to prevent injuries, it’s best to warm up with dynamic stretching. That means stretching through movement, which is a quick and easy way to lengthen our muscles while bringing them more blood flow to get them ready to work for us. I like to do a series of stretches right before I leave my house for the trails and it only takes about five minutes. You can do this down a hallway, across the length of a room (I use my livingroom) or you can wait until you get to the trailhead. You want to hit all the major muscle groups in your legs: Walking knee-to-chest, walking figure fours, walking quad stretch (foot-to-butt), walking lunge, the Frankenstein walk and walking side lunges, to name a few.

Jessica Monaloy is a physical therapist in Meyers. She can be reached at 530-721-3253 or Jessica@meyersphysicaltherapy.com. Visit her website at http://www.meyersphysicaltherapy.com.


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