Here we are at the end of the second month of reformPhysio & Pilates and it’s been a busy one. There are now five Pilates classes up and running in two locations in Aberdeen, alongside two clinical mornings in Craigiebuckler. In addition to this there was also a four day working trip to the McCullagh International meet in Bangor, Northern Ireland. I’ve decided to put together a post about my trip, which I hope you find interesting, Laura.
What is the McCullagh International meet?
This is a four day long course (50m) swimming event in Northern Ireland offering a full Olympic programme. This year the meet was formatted with heats in the evening and finals in the morning, mirroring the format of this year’s Tokyo Olympics. There was an exciting line up of swimmers this year as athletes are preparing for the Olympic trials in London in April.
What does a Physio pack?
Packing for a swimming meet is a piece of cake compared to any pitch side physio work! There’s no need for plasters (hopefully) or rolls of Kinesiotape (not allowed for competition) & we were lucky enough to borrow a Physio couch from Irish swimming (thanks so much!), so aside from ensuring the shorts were packed (it’s hot poolside) and a few other basics: spiky balls, peanut, foam roller/yoga wheel, massage oil, there isn’t much to carry.
What does a Physio actually do all day?
When you travel as part of the team, you are that, part of the team and not just the physio. Amongst other things, I’ve been known to do the supermarket shopping for a team, monitor sun tan lotion usage, lead morning warm up runs and pool side pilates sessions.
More specifically, at a swim meet a Physio can be involved in delivering the pre pool routine. There's a great link here to pre-pool routines for anyone new to this.
We also monitor the swimmers after a race, treating any issues that may have arisen or carrying out soft tissue work to facilitate the recovery process.
It’s also a great opportunity to watch the racing! Ultimately our goal with Physiotherapy input is to see improved performance in the pool and racing is the culmination of weeks/months of prior input. It can be a good measure of where the athlete is in their training schedule and allows us to identify any further areas to work on.
Is it fun?
I absolutely love travelling with Sports teams and swimming is no different. Being completely immersed in the sport for a few days can lead a better understanding of the demands of the sport on the athletes body & to new ideas for Physiotherapy treatments/exercises.