The school year has officially begun! Student athletes everywhere are returning to the gym, track or field, ready to start their sports season. Here at Horizon Rehab, we want to make sure you start your new term off right. That’s why we’d like to discuss a few exercises you can do to avoid sidelining injuries:
Hip extensions:
Lie down so you’re facing the ceiling, with your knees bent and feet flat. Lift your left leg, with the knee still bent. Use your hands to push your right foot onto the floor and lift your hips off the ground. Keep your left leg at the same hip angle and keep your back straight. When you feel a bracing sensation in your abs and a strong contraction in your right hip, you know you’ve done it right. Hold this position for 2 seconds, then switch to the other side.
Kneeling stretch:
Find the softest pad you can get and kneel onto it with your left knee. Put your right foot flat on the floor in front of you. Reach behind and grab your left ankle. Straighten your back and pull your left ankle towards your buttocks. Then brace your abs and squeeze your left butt check. Slightly shift your weight forward, pushing your hips forward as you do so. This should produce a stretch in your right hip and quad. Hold this stretch for at least 10 seconds, but no more than 2 minutes. Then switch sides.
Knee hug:
Stand up with your feet hip-length apart. Keeping your back straight, hug your left knee and bring your thigh to your chest. Release the leg and take a step backwards. Do a reverse lunge without resting your left knee on the floor. Squeeze your left buttocks and push your left hip forward. You should feel a stretch in front of your left quad and hip. Stand up straight again and repeat on the other side. Do 10 reps on each side.
These are just a few stretches you can do before practice or the big game. We hope that you have a successful season and don’t experience any injuries, but if you do, we’re here for you. We regularly work with student athletes to make sure they can keep playing!