Athletes need more sleep. Our comfort products can help.

Athletes are always on the go, on and off the field, and less sleep can mean more injuries. Players who got less than six hours of sleep per night had an increased rate of injury during games, according to a University of California study; making choosing comfort products conducive to sleep crucial. 

“When we design products, we keep athletes in mind,” said Contour Products President Scott Davis. “Our products aim to aid comfort by correctly aligning the body during sleep. This can not only prolong sleep, but help athletes recover when injuries do happen.”

Athletes often place sleep on the back burner. In highly trained team sport athletes, 50 percent of athletes were considered poor sleepers and 28 percent had daytime sleepiness in a recent study published in the European Journal of Sport Science. The study concluded that athletes needed to learn more about their sleep schedules, sleep longer, and have better quality sleep.

Injury is a common occurrence in sports. In collegiate football alone, 8 out of every 1000 players are injured, according to a National Collegiate Athletic Association report. The way players behave during recovery from these injuries is critical for their chances of playing again.

For longer sleep and shorter recovery time, players should consider how they sleep and type of injury. Comfort products are designed to target specific areas of the body: 

• Head, Neck, Shoulders, Upper Back: orthopedic pillow, cervical roll, bed wedge 

• Lower Back, Hips, Pelvis: lumbar cushion, leg support pillow, seat cushion 

• Legs, Knees, Ankles, Feet: leg wedge, knee elevation cushion 

“We want athletes to be as healthy and safe as possible, because both everyday exercise, and injury recovery time can have a huge impact on their success,” said Davis. “Our variety of comfort products can help.” 

The Contour Cool Leg Pillow was recently featured in 12 NFL players’ training camp bags. Check it out here.

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Football Traditions That Can Leave you Down in the Back

Fall means football, one of America’s favorite pastimes. And with it comes a heavy dose of tradition. Aside from the actual games themselves, people will travel from miles around to barbeque, tailgate, play backyard games, and more. All in support of this beloved sport. However, just because said pastimes are enjoyed, doesn’t mean they don’t (or can’t) leave you hurting in their wake.

To stay healthy and fit all through football season, remember these side effects that can occur from all the tailgating fun.

Actually Playing Football

Most of the time it’s left to the players, but throwing around a football before the game can cause serious injury. Whether in the back, shoulders, or outside muscles, playing too rough of a game is sure to leave you hurting well past the fourth quarter.

Heavy Tailgate Gear

Tailgating can often mean some serious equipment hauling. Rather than lifting items that are too bulky for travel, consider easier methods instead. Such as coolers with wheels, or lightweight tents that can be held in place by ropes or pins. These simple gestures can do wonders for the body and leave you pain free the following day. 

Sitting in Bench Seats for the Entire Game

We’ve all sat in the cheap seats. Where no back supports are given and we’re left to our own devices to sit up straight. And while sometimes they’re a necessity, they can also leave your rear screaming for some cushion. Next time you’re left with a bench seat, remember to bring a retractable back or pillow to help ease some the sitting pain. 

Unhealthy Foods

Chowing down on dips might be tasty at the time, but they can also do a number on your digestive system. Remember to take these snacks in stride, or to pack along some healthier alternatives for a stomach that isn’t rumbling during the big game.

To make the most out of your football team’s season, follow these simple health-friendly tips. 

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Moves you Shouldn’t Pull During March Madness

This time of year, basketball fans are coming out of the regulation-painted woodwork. With brackets that are destined for multiple scribbles, those of all ages tune in to see their favorite team – or favorite qualifying team – make it to the next round. No matter your cheering rituals, however, there’s plenty of ways not to celebrate after a big win. Specifically those that’ll have your muscles wishing you’d watched from the bench.

For the rest of the tournament, be sure to avoid:

The Jumping High-Five

If it’s been longer than you can remember since you’ve successfully completed a shock-and-awe jump, celebrating may be better done on the ground. This becomes even more true when others are involved, allowing for falling, wrecks, or in-air collisions.

Over Pouting

Believe it or not, tensing the muscles can cause for more pains than fancy tricks. This means no slouching or excessive head hanging. Be sure to sit in a relaxed position to keep the neck, back, and legs in prime working order. 

Reenactment Dunks

No matter how sweet that last dunk was, leave it to the pros (or rather, the yet-to-go-pros). Jumping indoors can lead to a number of consequences, including busted ankles, strained muscles, and shattered knickknacks. 

Fits of Anger

Disappointment can come with a real sting, but that’s no reason to ruin any belongings – including body parts. 

Whatever the Mascot is Doing

Mascots are trained professionals. If they’re doing flips or extensive lunges, consider taking it down a few notches before recreating the moves. Exception: certain dances that can double as fun and exercise, while offering minimal bodily distress.

Chest Bumps

A normal way to celebrate (usually among men), the “chest bump” might be more dangerous than it seems. Because they’re performed in-air, these bumps can jar both muscles and bones into awkward positions – whether momentarily or longer-term.

To keep your body tip-off ready at all times, remember to avoid the above during your next viewing party. 

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What Does Tiger Woods’ Back Pain Mean for the Golf Season?

This past weekend, Tiger Woods withdrew from a golf competition with severe lower back pains. A symptom that’s nothing new for the returning favorite. He’s repeatedly been struck down by spasms, even falling to his knees during practices and photo shoots. But now that he’s officially withdrew from the Honda Classic, how will the rest of his season fare? And more specifically, can he continue to compete (let alone practice) on a bum back?

The experts say it depends. And on several factors, including his treatment regimen, whether or not he can keep the pain under control, and how often or how severe his flare ups continue to take place. It’s also likely he’ll keep mum about his progress so as to keep his competition in the dark as long as possible. After all, he was able to rally in the past, finishing tournaments last minute while still in pain.

The Cause Behind His Back Pain

While scorned women everywhere are citing karma, others say the pains are a nature of his job. In good company with Phil Mickelson, the duo continues to suffer from back pains on and off of the golf course. Arguably the two most talented golfers of the season, both await a good bill of health before moving forward with 2014 competitions.

So what is it about golf that lends itself to such bouts of pain? Because both are life-long players, it could be the constant twisting motions leading to their aches. Add in the intense ricochet of hitting the ball (which rises up and through the body), and this is motion can send shooting pain throughout the bones. While it’s unclear that their golfing lifestyle caused the pains in the first place (though a distinct possibility), golfing with such injuries would certainly worsen already existing conditions. [Bleacher Report]

Only continuing the season will show what’s in store for Woods – and Mickelson – but for the rest of the golfers out there, remember to keep your back in mind during each swing. It’s an act that will allow you to stay healthy for all of your seasons to come.

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What Does the Future Hold for Russian Olympian’s Broken Spine?

Last week, the world watched as one of the world’s top athletes was rushed to the hospital after a nasty spill. It wasn’t a head or leg injury caused by the ill-landed ski jump, however, it was a broken spine. Maria Komissarova, a Russian athlete, was taken off the ski slopes by medical professionals after she lay motionless on the slopes (though she did sit up for a short amount of time.) While it’s never a good sight for athletes to fall – especially on such a competitive level – Komissarova’s might just be one of the most severe back injuries in Olympic skiing history. A spokesperson for the International Olympics Committee said Komissarova “fractured the 12th dorsal vertebrae in her lower-middle back.”

After the injury, she underwent an almost 7-hour emergency surgery, before being airlifted to Germany to receive specialized treatment. Officials have since declared the operation a “success,” yet giving few details about what’s next in store for the athlete. And though doctors and spokespersons alike are remaining mum about Komissarova’s recovery, it’s likely she’s in for months of painful therapy and treatments. A process that will help her in the long term.

The Long-Term Effects of a Back Injury

One of the biggest factors contributing to long-term back pains are the initial recovery stages. Depending on how one’s back heals in the first few weeks, and whether or not swelling becomes an issue, Komissarova’s – or anyone with a back injury’s – healing process could take very different paths. The future could hold years of skiing and moving with a healthy back, or it could mean ongoing pains and a spine that never quite works the same again. Perhaps that’s why officials are keeping quiet about the process. [ESPN]

Whatever the outcome, however, the IOC has made clear that they’re on the lookout for other athletes’ safety. By looking into new regulations, checking slope conditions, and more, they hope to prevent this or any other serious injury from taking place in the future.

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5 Winter Olympic Sports Sure to Put you in a Back Brace

This past week the world was introduced to Sochi, Russia, the home of the 2014 Winter Olympics. And for days the best athletes have been flipping, skiing, and sliding their way into our daily entertainment. Performing tricks most of us can only consider in cartoon form, these athletes have proven just how much talent and control it requires to become a contending winter athlete.

For the most part, these athletes are young, and there’s a reason for the age discrepancy. After a certain age, we simply can’t perform acrobatics without causing extreme bodily consequences. For the non-Olympic population, here are the top five injury-inducing winter sports. Avoid them to keep your back and your sanity in working order.

5. The Bobsleigh

Cramming four people into a tiny sled looks less than comfortable. Hunching over to obtain maximum wind resistance sounds even worse. Anyone with a back problem should steer ever clear from bobsledding activities.

4. Hockey

Not only does this sport require quick, sudden movements, it’s likely to land you against the wall multiple times per game. Stay off the ice to avoid these competitive smashing movements.

3. Figure Skating

The jumps these figure skaters make send bodies into constant twirls and turns. Not so bad for those who can land them, but each fall looks like it’s a purple bruise and a back adjustment waiting to happen.

2. Skiing/Snowboarding

Again, the jumps and flips look like your spine’s worst nightmare. Even with protective gear and years of training, nothing saves the back from these epic tricks like not attempting them at all.

1. Curling

A sport that combines target practice with brooms, athletes must bend and frantically sweep for long periods of time. Put on repeat and your lower back is likely to be aching something fierce after a single tournament.

This winter, leave these backbreaking events to the pros. Your body – and your future health – will thank you.

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