Winter recreational activities and chores can pose problems for the outdoor enthusiast whose body is not in condition. Winter sports like skating, skiing and sledding can cause painful muscle strains or tears if you're not in shape. Even shoveling snow the wrong way, clambering awkwardly over snow banks, slipping on sidewalks and wearing the wrong kind of clothing can pose the potential for strains and sprains.

Simply walking outside in the freezing weather without layers of warm clothing can intensify older joint problems and cause a great deal of pain. As muscles and blood vessels contract to conserve the body's heat, the blood supply to extremities is reduced. This lowers the functional capacity of many muscles, particularly among the physically unfit. If we know what areas of our bodies are most vulnerable, we can condition ourselves in the off-season to avoid injury and costly health care bills.

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and its Council on Sports Injuries and Physical Fitness suggest the following tips to help you fight back the winter weather.

For the Sports Enthusiast:

First, make sure to get plenty of rest and eat a healthy breakfast. Then, to help condition the body, do some at home stretching exercises. Focus on lower back muscles, hamstring and calf muscles. To reduce injury, run down a mental check list to assess your mental awareness, equipment condition and your physical fitness level. Next, take the chill off that settles in on the way to your rink, pond, or hilltop, and warm up just before you start a sport to get the blood flowing and to increase your heart rate.

Skiing: Do 10 to 15 squats. Stand with your legs a shoulders' width apart, knees aligned over your feet. Slowly lower your buttocks as you bend your knees over your feet. Stand up straight again.

Skating: Do several lunges. Take a moderately advanced step with one foot. Let your back knee come down to the floor while keeping your shoulders in position over your hips. Repeat the process with your other foot.

Sledding/Tobogganing: Do knee-to-chest stretches to fight compression injuries caused by repetitive bouncing over the snow. Either sitting or lying on your back, pull your knees to your chest and hold for up to 30 seconds.

Don't forget cool-down stretching for all these sports
At the bottom of the sledding hill, for instance, before trudging back up, do some more knee-to-chest stretches, or repetitive squatting movements to restore flexibility.

For The Snow Shoveler:

• If you must shovel snow, be careful. Listen to weather forecasts so you can rise early and have time to shovel before work.
• Layer clothing to keep your muscles warm and flexible.
• Shoveling can strain "de-conditioned" muscles between your shoulders, in your upper back, lower back, buttocks and legs. So, do some warm-up stretching before you grab that shovel.
• When you do shovel, push the snow straight ahead; don't try to throw it. Walk it to the snow bank. Avoid sudden twisting and turning motions.
• Bend your knees to lift when shoveling. Let the muscles of your arms and legs do the work, not your back.
• Take frequent rest breaks to take the strain off your muscles of your muscles. A fatigued body asks for injury.
• Stop if you feel chest pain, or get really tired or have shortness of breath. You may need immediate professional help.

If you feel pain...

After any of these activities, if you are sore, apply an ice bag to the affected area for 20 minutes, then take it off for a couple of hours. Repeat a couple of times each day over the next day or two. If the soreness doesn't abate, you may need to see us.