Training Tips & Protective Equipment for Hockey Players

The sport of hockey is vastly popular and played around the world with widespread participation in North America, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Russia. Male and female players of all ages and skill levels enjoy the competitive nature of the sport that requires equal parts power and finesse to truly excel. The modern team sport’s origins can be traced back to the 1800’s in Canada where British soldiers passed time playing the game on skates on frozen lakes and ponds. Over the next 200 years the game has evolved to a place where indoor ice rinks and roller hockey rinks are common in cities across the United States.

Organized hockey leagues require a large amount of equipment to protect participants from the frozen rubber puck and other players while playing the game. Basic equipment needed includes a helmet, shoulder pads, neck guard, hockey gloves, padded hockey pants, skates and of course a stick. It is recommended that players invest in hockey specific equipment from a well-known hockey manufacturer due to the risk of injury players expose themselves to every time they step on the ice. While MMAR Medical recognizes the need for specific hockey gear, we also suggest you explore popular hockey rehabilitation equipment to help players recover and perform their best.

Protective padding
 Hockey players travelling at high speeds on wheels or a blade are susceptible to collisions and wipeouts. To cushion the fall and decrease the impact on a player’s knees we suggest investing in Mueller Knee pads. The extra strength knee pads slide up the player’s legs and an elastic material provides a comfortable and snug fit. The lightweight, non-bulky padding allows the player to move freely and not be encumbered by larger pads. These hockey knee pads are recommended for street or roller hockey players looking for more knee protection. Many ice hockey leagues require USA Hockey approved full leg protection available at hockey specific retailers.

Skate Insoles
The importance of leg strength to the sport of hockey cannot be overstated. Forwards, defenders and even goalies rely on their leg’s conditioning and power to skate faster and longer than opponents during training and in competition. For players to maximize their play their feet must be comfortable. Much of that has to do with properly fitted and broken in skates. If your skates are not as comfortable as you’d like consider Prothotic Performance Sport Insoles to cushion the often hard skate soles. Choose from a range of men’s and women’s insole sizes to provide exceptional arch and metatarsal rise support and guard against harmful over-pronation. An advanced polyurethane base layer cushions the entire foot and will never flatten or lose comfort over time. The anti-friction fabric will keep the hockey skate insole in one place and even wicks moisture away from the foot, reducing heat and the risk of uncomfortable blisters.

 Hockey Joint Braces 
There is no replacement for a strong and healthy joint but bracing an injured or recovering joint can give you confidence to play the sport you love at a high level. If you suffer joint weakness or pain we recommend adding a hockey knee, wrist or ankle brace to your equipment list. MMAR Medical stocks a wide selection of low profile braces designed to fit underneath your equipment. Most hockey skates provide excellent ankle support when laced properly however if you still require extra ankle support, browse our hockey ankle braces that will give additional muscle and joint stabilization.

Best Exercises for Preventing Ski Injuries

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Top 5 Twitter Accounts to Follow For Physical Therapy Students

Physical therapy is one of the fastest growing professions. With over 25,000 students enrolled in physical therapy programs throughout the United States, it's also becoming a competitive field. Like any medical field, there is constantly changing information and as a student it can be tough to learn established knowledge while keeping up with new research. If you're a PT student, check out these Twitter accounts for PT research and news, career advice, and job listings.

PT Think Tank

PT Think Tank is the Twitter account for PTThinkTank.com, a blog that began by covering many facets of physical therapy, and now hosts weekly Twitter talks for students enrolled in Doctor of Physical Therapy programs. The Twitter chats include professional physical therapists, students, and professors and they often have a featured guest that contributes to the conversation. The talks are hosted by @LaurenrSPT every Wednesday.

Allied Travel Careers

As a student, you will be looking for jobs and internships over the course of your PT education, and assuming you're young and flexible, traveling physical therapy jobs are a great way to spend the first few years of your professional career. @PTtraveljobs is the Twitter account of AlliedTravelCareers.com and they tweet out traveling physical therapy opportunities that are great for recent grads looking for exciting careers.

Physical Therapy Web

Physical Therapy Web posts educational PT articles from their website and other physical therapy sites around the web. They have a lot of articles based on sports physical therapy, so if you're a student specializing in sports PT, this is a great resource to follow for the latest news and research on sports therapy.

American Physical Therapy Association’s Student Assembly

The student resources Twitter page for the American Physical Therapy Association features tweets by PT students on issues they care about including study and educational resources, networking events around the country, and advice for students on how to network and stay connected within the PT community.

Physical Therapy Journal

Finally, the official, peer-reviewed journal of the American Physical Therapy Association, the Physical Therapy Journal, tweets from @PTJournal. This is a great account to follow if you're looking to stay updated on the latest PT research. You have to be an APTA member to read the full research articles, but abstracts are available and they also tweet other content such as videos of lectures and Podcasts.

MMAR Medical blogs about medical topics, including physical therapy, sports health, and more. They also supply a wide range of therapy products in their store at wholesale pricing.

5 Ways to Encourage Your Child through Physical Therapy

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Cold Therapy Systems for Healing and Comfort

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3 Reasons Cold Therapy Systems Help Healing Time

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Moist Heat Therapy for Muscle Relief

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Low Mobility Workouts & Exercises

Exercising and being active is important to everyone regardless of age and current fitness level. A regular exercise routine helps strengthen muscles, relieves stress, controls weight gain and best of all exercise increases endorphins and boosts your mood! Unfortunately patients suffering diabetes, arthritis, obesity and the elderly are prone to mobility restrictions making it difficult for them to get a regular workout the gym. Having a condition that limits your ability to move does not mean you can’t exercise; this article outlines tips and specific exercises that are designed to get you moving and attain your goals!

Before starting a new workout routine, get medical clearance from your doctor, not a friend or personal trailer. Your medical professional has a complete understanding your condition and can recommend activities that are suitable for you that will not aggravate preexisting conditions. It’s also important to pace yourself when starting with a new activity. Trying to accomplish fitness and exercising goals too quickly can result in an injury and loss of motivation. Setting short-term goals like improving your mental state and reducing stress helps your confidence and gives you more motivation to reach your long-term goals.

Warming up cold muscles and joints is a must before every workout. Starting a workout by stretching and doing slow range-of-motion exercises increases blood flow and reduces the risk of injury. Do not exercise if you experience pain or discomfort as pain is your body warning you that it doesn’t like the way it is being used. The below list’s contain exercises for the lower body, low mobility cardiovascular exercises and specific upper body workouts for people in wheelchairs.

Wheelchair/Upper Body Exercises:
•    Rowing Machines
•    Overhead Fist Punching
•    Elastic Band Resistance
•    Lifting Dumbbells
•    Stationary Arm Cycle
•    Nintendo Wii & Xbox 360 video games

Lower Body Exercises:
•    Stationary Exercise Peddler
•    Yoga/ Tai Chi
•    Wall Squats/Body Weight Squats
•    Aqua Jogging
•    Standing Heel Lifts
•    Sitting knee Extensions

Cardiovascular Exercises:
•    Elliptical Machine
•    Tennis
•    Dancing
•    Water Aerobics
•    Swimming

Save money today with MMAR Medical’s SUMMER SPECIAL deals. Enjoy 10% off Breg, DonJoy and Ossur products using coupon code’s BREG10, DONJOY10, OSSUR10. Please note these coupons are valid on regularly priced inventory and cannot be combined with wholesale pricing discounts or other sale priced coupons. First time customers can use our SHIP75 free shipping coupon with them, though!

Summer Exercise Safety Tips

The summer months allow athletes and rehabilitation patients to move their exercises outdoors and away from stuffy indoor offices and gyms. Extended hours of daylight and warmer temperatures are welcomed by many and help break up the tired routines of a long winter.

There are some safety concerns you should be aware of when exerting energy in the heat. In this post we’ll share tips and warnings to help ensure the time and effort spent outside exercising is beneficial and safe.

Scheduling
Just finding free time to exercise is almost as difficult as some workouts. Work and personal obligations are top priorities for many of us; add kids to the equation and you’ll find yourself wishing for more hours in a day. While schedules often dictate our daily routine there are safer times of the day to spend in the sun. When exercising outside, we recommend going as early in the day as possible before the daily temperatures reach their peak. In the mornings the radiation from the sun is lower and the chances of heat related injuries are greatly reduced.

Hydration 
Extreme temperatures can turn an outdoor workout into a dangerous event quickly if one has not prepared to be in the heat. The #1 Rule when exercising outside is hydration. Before beginning any physical training, indoors or outdoors, your body needs to be hydrated to perform at the highest level. A body will lose fluids through sweat faster in the heat so it is imperative you are properly hydrated before, during and after being outside.

Renee Melton, MS, RD, LD and developer of Sensai recommends drinking >15 ounces of water 1-2 hours before a workout, 8-10 more ounces about 15 minutes right before you start, and continuing with 8 ounces for every 15 minutes of exercise during the workout. Drink lots of water and avoid diuretics like coffee and caffeinated drinks which cause rapid fluid loss. When finished exercising outside you need to re-fuel your body with nourishment in the form of food and vitamins to aid in recovery.

Dress the Part 
Protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays with sunscreen and light colored clothing. Applying SFP 40 or higher will protect vulnerable skin cells from the damaging sun radiation. Wearing light and pastel colors will reflect the UV rays and help to keep you cool in the heat. Avoid dark colors.

For endurance athletes training in the sweltering heat we recommend CEP Arm Cooler Sleeves which are designed to shield athletes from the sun. These non-compressive arm sleeves are manufactured with high-density knit structure and UV absorbing yarn which provides over SPF 50 protection. CEP’s Cool-Cell technology reduces the skin temperature by up to 6 degrees, keeping the athlete comfortable and reducing fatigue while training. These cool arm sleeves come in pairs and are perfect for runners, triathletes, cyclists and other outdoor endurance athletes.

Educate Yourself
Even the most vigilant person and in-shape competitor can be overwhelmed when exercising outdoors, so it’s important to understand the risks and symptoms of heat related illnesses. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are serious medical illnesses common for anyone outdoors during hot summer months.

• Heat exhaustion is caused by a loss of water and salt; symptoms include: headaches, heavy sweating, dizziness, fainting, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting. If you or someone you’re feel feels these symptoms, it’s recommended to find a cool, shady place to rest and drink lots of water. 
• Heat stroke is a much more serious condition that may cause death or permanent disability if not treated. When a body is going through heat stroke and unable to cool itself down, warning signs include: warm dry skin, body chills, hallucinations, high body temp, confusion, slurred speech and throbbing headaches. It is imperative 9-1-1 is called ASAP and the sufferer is moved to a cool area until help arrives.

Exercise safely at a bargain this summer with MMAR Medical’s SUMMER SPECIAL deals. Enjoy 10% off Breg, DonJoy and Ossur products using coupon code’s BREG10, DONJOY10, OSSUR10. Please note these coupons are valid on regularly priced inventory and cannot be combined with wholesale pricing discounts or other sale priced coupons. First time customers can use our SHIP75 free shipping coupon with them, though!

Breg Freestyle OA Knee Brace Review: A Comfortable Knee Brace for Active Lifestyles

For active people and athletes, osteoarthritis of the knee can become a debilitating condition that can alter their entire lifestyle. What’s worse is that because they put stress on their joints more often, active people tend to develop osteoarthritis earlier in their lives and, if they continue to remain active, can have it worsen more quickly once they are diagnosed. It’s simply the nature of joint overuse that causes this, and of course can become more of an issue if other knee injuries have also occurred.

The Breg Freestyle Osteoarthritis Knee Brace aims to alleviate pain and performance issues that stem from osteoarthritis and also prevent osteoarthritis from worsening. For athletes, runners, and others that live active lifestyles, having an OA brace that allows them to keep participating in the activities they love is essential.

Light and Comfortable Design

The issue with many OA knee braces is that wearing them becomes a chore. Not only are they clunky, but they are also uncomfortable and can sometimes create more issues than they are solving. The Breg Freestyle OA Brace features a low profile hinge that doesn’t interfere with activity or get in the way of your opposite knee. The brace is secured with a set of soft, comfortable Velcro straps. The Velcro attachments allow the brace to remain free from snagging on clothing and the brace can be worn just as easily under pants as it can with shorts.

The Performance Athletes Need

Athletes, particularly long distance runners, will love the performance that the Breg Freestyle Brace provides. Whether you’re in need of a lateral or medial brace, the Breg Freestyle gives your knee proper support by providing firm but gentle pressure to the joint, preventing your knee joint from grinding. This OA knee brace model features a numbered adjustable wheel on the hinge that allows you to change the amount of offloading easily and quickly.

Visit our store today for full specifications on the Breg Freestyle Brace. For a limited time, we are offering a summer discount for 10% off “Our Price” on all Breg products. Simply enter the coupon code BREG10 at checkout and receive 10% off today!