how to prevent pre-season injuries

strength and endurance conditioning

Have you ever noticed just how many injuries occur during pre-season. Why? Because most athletes have the misconception that pre-season is the time to get into shape. If athletes would take the time to train properly and come into pre-season in playing shape, then many of the muscle pulls and overuse injuries would be avoided.

To begin with it is important that athletes of all sports stay on a strengthening program at least three times a week. The lifting should include all body parts, but should also be sport specific. For example, upper body athletes like swimmers, baseball and softball players should include rotator cuff strengthening along with their regular lifting program. Either their coach or athletic trainer can specify these exercises. For athletes who participate in sports like track, soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse it is important to maintain a good lower body strengthening program including; quadriceps, hamstrings, groin, hip, and calf muscles along with an upper body program. Many athletes tend to overlook the importance of a good strengthening program, which inevitably leads to muscle pulls. Therefore, if we can keep athletes on a religious strengthening program it will prevent many of the muscle pulls we see in the beginning of the season.