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Your Body and Hula: Reducing Muscular Pain and Injury for the Hula Athlete Whether you're new to AHA's 'aiha'a style of hula or have been dancing for years, aches and pains from training can be burdensome. In response to a request to write about this subject, I turned to athletic trainer Shannon Bracy, A.T.,C (Athletics Trainer, Certified) for more information. Ms. Bracy has been working in sports medicine for over twenty-five years. Almost twenty of those years has been spent at De Anza College in the Athletics Department in Cupertino, California where she's busy preventing, assessing and aiding rehabilitation of the intercollegiate athletes and teaching classes in Athletic Injuries. Muscular soreness and injury are not inevitable and its intensity and occurrence can be greatly reduced by understanding some key points. Proper Conditioning "Strengthening ...your abdominals and back extensors, will add strength and stability to all hip motions and reduce muscular overload on the thigh muscles" Proper conditioning comprises of a consistency of practice, muscular balance and flexibility. The consistency of practice (not only of hula, but of crosstraining and cardiovascular exercise) builds up the strength and endurance demanded by your body to perform. So if you only train one day a week, then this demand will never be met. When you have the strength and endurance that is demanded, your muscles won't be overworked so easily. Overworked muscles are prone to muscular soreness and fatigue, which makes them prone to injuries. Muscular balance between a muscle group and its antagonist group (i.e hamstrings and quadriceps) is also important in preventing muscle overload and injury. The main muscle combination groups in hula are the front and back postural core muscles, hip rotators, hip flexors and hip extensors, knee flexors and knee extensors, and all the musculature of the ankle and foot. Weaknesses of any of these muscle groups are the major causes of low back pain, knee pain, tendonitis, chondra maleta patella, hamstrings pulls, and ankle sprains. One example, Ms. Bracy points out, is that by strengthening the "[muscular] core", which are your abdominals and back extensors, will add strength and stability to all hip motions and reduce muscular overload on the thigh muscles that are already working to keep you in that semi-squatting position. Not only is muscular strength important, muscular flexibility also prevents cramping and injury. Tight muscles are prone to tearing and cramping because they are unable to lengthen. This inability to lengthen also decreases muscle strength because muscle contraction is hindered. This also leads to muscle overload of other muscle groups. The best time to increase flexibility and reduce muscle soreness is right after training. This is the most effective time to stretch because the muscles are already warm and it re-educates the muscles on how to re-lengthen after the repetitious contracting for the hundreds of uwehes and helas just performed. Tight muscles are also causes of the conditions listed above. Proper Hydration and Electrolyte Balance Having an adequate amount of water and electrolytes reduces the occurrence of muscular cramping. Muscles rely on water to contract. The electrolytes: magnesium, sodium, chloride, and potassium also aid in muscle contraction. Ms. Bracy does not recommend any particular sports drink, but does advise looking at electrolyte and sugar content. Most commercial sports drinks have a high sugar concentration (i.e. glucose, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, dextrose). Too much sugar can also lead to muscle cramping because the energy that would go to the muscles for contraction is going to the digestive system to breakdown the sugar. Drinks with too much sugar can be diluted with water. Proper Rest Whenever an increase of training occurs an adequate amount of rest also needs to increase. This rest allows the body to recuperate and rebuild its muscles. When the body is adequately rested, it will be able to perform more effectively when it is time to train again. Mental Focus Another factor that can reduce the risk of injury, which does not get mentioned often, is mental focus. Paying attention to how your body is moving can greatly avoid any mishaps. All of the above factors contribute to mental focus. Physical unrest and fatigue can be distracting to the mind. Addressing the Issue, Not the Symptom There are many analgesics you can take for pain. Topical analgesics (i.e. tiger balm, Biofreeze) can provide temporary relief, as well as the oral analgesics (i.e ibuprofin). Heat packs can reduce pain from muscular cramping and ice can be applied to areas of swelling to also reduce pain. Knee braces and Cho-Pats® can reduce pain and provide stability during training, but long-term use can actually be more harmful than good. After twenty-five years of exposure to knee injures, Ms. Bracy explains that knee braces are good initially for rehabilitation after an injury to start getting back into training. The knee brace can act as an aid to the knee and a biofeedback to signal the mind to be more aware of its movements. Prolonged use, however, can lead to weaker musculature that surrounds the knee. This primarily includes the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles. The weakness and tightness of these muscles could be the cause and the perpetuating factor of knee pain. Pain can be a nuisance and can even be debilitating at times but it is a signal that something is amiss. To fully address the pain, the discovery of the underlying source is necessary. Look for Part 2: Stretching for the Hula Athlete in the next AHA newsletter.

- by Jessica Joson