A bit of a stretch: Simple steps for avoiding injury
With spring in full swing and summer just around the corner, young athletes are playing outdoor sports such as baseball, softball, tennis and soccer. As with any activity, proper posture, stretching and warming up play a significant role in avoiding overuse injuries.
Practicing good posture is important because it allows the body to perform at its maximum efficiency and function. Good posture, which involves keeping your ears, shoulders and hips in a straight line, is achieved and maintained through conscious effort. Bad posture can lead to chronic aches and pains and makes you more susceptible to overuse injuries.
Before starting a physical activity, it also is important to loosen up by stretching. Even a small amount of stretching can prevent a lot of grief. Here are some simple stretches that can protect your shoulders and postural muscles:
Doorway chest stretch: Place one hand on either side of a door frame. With your feet staggered as if you are taking a step forward, lean into the doorway. Keep your head up until you feel a stretch in front of your chest and arms. Hold this position for about 30 seconds.
Genie stretch: Grasp the back of your elbow and gently pull your arm across your chest to feel a stretch along the back of the shoulders and shoulder blade. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds, and repeat three to five times for each side.
Levator stretch: Point your nose down to one side of your chest. Use your hand to gently pull your head down to feel a stretch in the back of your neck and shoulder. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds and repeat this three to five times for each side.
Finally, warming up before any physical activity prepares the body and mind. Warming up increases the body’s core and muscle temperatures and helps make the muscles loose, supple and pliable. Simple warm-ups can include lunges, jogging or even brisk walking.
A good warm-up and flexibility program not only will improve your range of motion but also help you become a better athlete. More important, it could prevent you from being sidelined from the game.