QUICK-FIRE

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using nose clips in swimming?

Advantages: prevents water ingress up the nose during all strokes, allowing you to focus on solely breathing through your mouth; can alleviate any allergic reactions to chlorine. Disadvantages: breathing, and therefore overall physical efficiency, decreases; water can get trapped up the nose and contribute to more snot production; bad breathing habits can get ingrained.

What are fallen arches and what are the symptoms?

AKA flat feet, or pes planus, it’s a collapsing of the foot’s arch that can cause pain, fatigue and affect gait, which subsequently can put strain on the knees, ankles legs and hips. Symptoms include being unable to slip fingers underneath the arches; an inwards rolling of feet and ankles when running; and knee problems due to lack of support from the feet. Orthotics, gait analysis, and barefoot exercises and sessions can all help.