The Valsalva maneuver is performed by forceful attempted exhalation against a closed airway, usually done by closing one's mouth, pinching one's nose shut while pressing out as if blowing up a balloon. This is also present under exertion during severe coughing, straining on the toilet, blowing musical instruments (trumpet), bodybuilding, giving birth and exercise! The exercise element is the part I want to concentrate on, but first we need to understand the mechanics of what is going on!
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Injury
Kicking arts such as TKD requires the lumbar spine and core to be mobile and strong as a lot of stress is put through it whilst conducting kicking movements as well as when correctly delivering blocking and striking techniques. A number of you might find that you are having a lack of mobility and pain in this area potentially caused by the riggers of what we do as an art.
Many of the rehab posts I put up are focused on the lower body due to the fact that TKD is a kicking art and this area is pertinent to many of us. However in martial arts our shoulders and in particular the rotator cuff can take a battering with repetitive movements, the dynamic nature of blocking against an opponent or trauma during sparring. As the shoulder joint is not load bearing, when its injured we probably don't experience the same constant discomfort and pain that we might with our hips. Due to this we can tend to ignore these pains and discomfort when training and find ways around the limitations it brings or just stop doing certain conditioning exercises altogether due to the pain and instability.
Staying healthy and injury free in martial arts is an ongoing battle due to the very nature of it and the physical requirements, its not like playing tiddly winks or ping pong! There is a requirement to balance training, active rest, rehabilitation, diet and sleep. Here are a few rules to assist you in your quest for injury free training:
Hip flexor and adductor issues are common challenges in Taekwon Do due to the dynamic nature of what we do. However this risk of injury is exacerbated with students that try to over extend themselves too soon, getting ambition and ability mixed up, as well as instructors who haven't been keeping up with their conditioning and training on a regular basis and then start to over extend themselves from their current de-conditioned position.
Adductor muscle group flexibility is essential in a kicking martial art. Static stretching is fine for achieving flexibility but it doesn't prepare the body for the dynamic and ballistic activity that it is subjected to, and thus you could be at risk of injury. Watch the attached video to add an excellent stretch to your repertoire improving performance and reducing injury.