Dragon boating is a physically demanding sport that requires tremendous athletic ability, including power, flexibility, and endurance.
To prevent injuries while dragon boating, it’s important to focus on proper technique, strength training, and stretching.
Here are some tips to help you prevent injuries:
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
| Takeaway | Details |
|---|---|
| Most injuries occur during training, not competition | 99% of reported injuries happened during practices rather than races |
| Women have a higher injury rate | Female dragon boaters had 2.14 injuries per 1,000 training hours vs 1.7 for males |
| Lower back and shoulders most commonly injured | Lower back injuries were 22.1% of total injuries, shoulders were 21.1% |
| Muscle/tendon sprains most frequent injury | Half of all injuries (50.5%) were muscle-tendon sprains |
| Skin abrasions and blisters very common | Over 90% of athletes endured skin abrasions, almost 80% had blisters |
| Strength train to better handle paddling demands | Resistance training prepares muscles for paddling motion, reducing injury risk |
| Use proper paddling technique | Helps prevent overuse injuries from repetitive motion |
| Always warm-up before exercise | Just 5 minutes helps reduce injury risk |
| Improve mobility in key areas | Shoulders, back, hips - stretching & resistance training helps |
| Wear sunscreen! | It's an outdoor sport, protect yourself |
| Train around injuries | Complete rest can slow recovery, do what you can pain-free |
Statistics on Injuries in Dragon Boat Racing
A study published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine recently described injuries in dragon boat racing. The research offers important findings on injuries in the sport that can help us design strategies to prevent them.
In a survey of 95 athletes who competed in the National Dragon Boating championships in Singapore, Swarup Mukherjee and other researchers found these injuries in a single season:
- 99% of injuries occurred during training rather than competition.
- Female dragon boaters had a higher injury rate than male athletes (2.14 injuries/1000 training hours in female versus 1.7/1000 training hours in males).
- The lower back comprises the most common injury location (22.1% of all injuries). The shoulder was second (21.1%).
- Muscle-tendon sprains made up about half of dragon boating injuries (50.5%).
- Non-musculoskeletal injuries are common in dragon boat racing. Over 90% of competitors suffered skin abrasions, and almost 80% suffered blisters.
Based on these findings, it’s clear that there are some ways athletes competing in dragon boat racing can prevent, or at least decrease, these injuries.
Tips to Prevent Injuries
- Engage in regular strength training: Resistance training can better prepare your muscles for the paddling motion and lower the risk of shoulder and lower back muscle and tendon strains.
- Focus on proper technique: As with any sport that involves performing a motion over and over, overuse injuries occur in dragon boating. Proper technique not only helps you go faster but is critical to prevent these injuries.
- Always warm up before exercises: Jumping into a workout cold is a recipe for bad stuff to happen. Even just a quick 5 minute warm up will help better prepare you for the workout and will help keep you safe.
- Work on mobility: Shoulder, back and hip mobility are important areas for paddlers to have mobility. By using a combination of stretching and full-range resistance training, paddlers can strengthen and lengthen these muscle groups.
- Wear sunscreen: Dragon boating is an outdoor sport, and it’s important to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
- Train around injuries: If you experience pain while dragon boating, contrary to popular belief, you shouldn't stop completely. Focus on doing what you can still do without pain. Complete rest may actually end up slowing down the recovery process because research has shown that active rest (i.e. doing lighter intensity movement) is better than 100% passive rest.
- Use a seat pad: A seat pad will prevent butt blisters and will make sitting on those hard wooden benches more comfortable.
Ways to Strengthen and Lengthen Your Paddling Muscles
Incorporating resistance training into your training regimen can help you build the strength and endurance necessary to prevent injuries while dragon boating. Here are some movements to focus on:
- ATG Split Squats: This exercise targets your quads, glutes, and hip flexors through a full range of motion. To perform this exercise, stand with one foot in front of the other and lunge forward, driving the front knee as far over the toe as you can. Stay upright to stretch out the hip flexor. Push back up to the starting position and repeat.
- Hyperextensions: This exercise targets your lower back, glutes and hamstrings muscles, which are the muscles responsible for stabilizing your spine and contribute to a powerful hinge during dragon boat racing. To perform this exercise, hop onto the hyperextension bench with your feet anchored. While bending from the waist, lower your torso down, feeling a good stretch along the entire backside of your body, then raise yourself up.
- Pullups: This exercise targets your back and biceps, which are the muscles responsible for pulling your arms towards your body. To perform this exercise, grip a pull-up bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Pull your body up towards the bar until your chin is above the bar, then slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position. Not only will this strengthen your pulling muscles, but it will also stretch out the shoulder girdle.
- Dumbbell Press: This exercise targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps, which are the muscles responsible for pushing your arms away from your body. To perform this exercise, lie on a bench with a pair of dumbbells held at shoulder height. Press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended to begin. Lower them under control under the weight touches your shoulder, then press back up.
- Couch Stretch: This exercise targets your hip flexors, which are the muscles responsible for lifting your legs up. These are often tight from sitting and can contribute to lower back pain. To perform this exercise, kneel on a couch or bench with one foot on the ground and the other foot on the couch or bench. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in your hip flexors, then hold for 30-60 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
- Romanian Deadlifts: This exercise targets your hamstrings and glutes, which are the muscles responsible for a powerful hinge. If these are tight, you won't be able to get as far forward. To perform this exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell in front of your thighs. Hinge forward at the hips and lower the barbell towards the ground while keeping the barbell dragging right along your leg, then raise back up to the starting position.
- Jefferson Curl: This exercise stretches your lower back and hamstrings, which are the muscles responsible for stabilizing your spine during dragon boat racing. To perform this exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell in front of your thighs. Slowly roll the barbell down your legs until you reach your toes, then slowly roll it back up to the starting position. Make sure to go very light for this one.
- External Rotations: This exercise targets your rotator cuff muscles, which are the muscles responsible for stabilizing your shoulders during dragon boat racing are very often get hurt. To perform this exercise, lie on your side with your elbow bent and your forearm resting on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in your other hand and rotate your arm away from your body, then rotate it back towards your body.
- Dumbbell Rows: This exercise targets your back muscles, which are the muscles responsible for pulling your arms towards your body. To perform this exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs. Pull the dumbbells up towards your chest, then slowly lower them back down to the starting position.
- Seated Good Morning: This exercise targets your lower back muscles, which are the muscles responsible for stabilizing your spine during dragon boat racing. To perform this exercise, sit on a bench with a barbell held across your shoulders, hold a cable rope or hold dumbbells. Hinge forward at the hips as far as you can while keeping an arched lower back, then raise back up to the starting position.
It’s important to note that these exercises should be performed under the guidance of a certified personal trainer to ensure proper form and technique. Additionally, it’s important to warm up before exercising and stretch after exercising to prevent injury.
Conclusion
Dragon boating is a fun and exciting sport that requires a lot of physical effort. However, it’s important to take steps to prevent injuries while participating in this sport. By focusing on proper technique, strength training, and stretching, you can reduce your risk of injury and enjoy the sport to the fullest.