Injury Prevention
Through my Partnership with Wokingham and Embrook Football Club i am writing a series of blogs to help the players, parents and coaches. As we enter autumn injury the pitches become heavier and the games come thick and fast. Injury prevention needs to be at the forefront of all coaches and players minds.
The nature of sport means injuries may happen, but at ngphysiotherapy we feel prevention and minimising risk is essential to anyone who is serious about their sport or hobbies.
Key principles behind injury prevention are:
1. Warm up appropriately; build from gentle to more vigorous dynamic movements, prolonged static stretches followed by ball skills to tune in our nervous system.
2. Cool down; hydrate, replenish fluids and electrolytes and stretch each many body part for at least 30 seconds
3. Diet and hydration; crucial to recovery, the bodies ability to heal and be able to function at the required level to exertion.
3. Diet and hydration; crucial to recovery, the bodies ability to heal and be able to function at the required level to exertion.
4. Rest; Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), is part and parcel of exercise and it is important to ensure practice acid (a byproduct of muscle contractions) if flushed out and the natural muscle status is regained. Injury risk improves 30% by having 2 rest days per week, rather than 1.
5. Stability and balance; whilst common opinion is to be strong to exercise, mid season we shouldn’t be looking at getting stronger – that’s what preseason was for. Now we need to maintain strength with high load low reps to ensure all our muscle fibre units stay active without the lactic acid mentioned earlier. Our main focus needs to be on maintaining high levels of lower limb balance, stability and control. This will significantly reduce the risk of ligament na muscle related injuries. Such exercises include – Star Excurion Balance Test: standing on one leg, reaching the other as if standing on a clock face – single leg squats – Palloff press: lunges with a band anchored to the side and controlling its pull – planks – forwards and sideways – lateral hips over 2 line 40cm apart aim for 52 in 30 seconds – side lunges keeping shin vertical Doing these exercises twice a week to gain or maintain conditioning will reduce injury risk mid season allowing you to enjoy your sport and exercise.
Unfortunately, there is an inherent risk of injury with any sport or exercise. At NGphysiotherapy we have a wealth of knowledge with sports rehabilitation and injury prevention so please do not hesitate to call or book if you have and concerns or injuries
I hope you will never need our services but we are here to help