Today I am going to talk about injury prevention. I’ve been a coach and personal trainer in Santa Monica for several years and have seen and personally experienced numerous injuries. I hate getting hurt but to see my students, friends and fellow classmates get hurt is even worse. Especially when that injury could have been prevented by some simple rehabilitative exercises. That being said, the risk of injury is always present when practicing a sport with unforeseen variables. My goal is too help you minimize the risk of injury while doing what you love to do.
Injuries are more likely to happen when one of the four following factors is in a state of imbalance: Flexibility, mobility, stability and strength. These four qualities are the foundation for anyone looking to become more athletic and they are the foundation on which you build success. But if one of these factors is unequal it increases the probability for an injury to occur.
Strength: Getting stronger is a relatively easy skill set to attain. A basic strength and condition program followed several times a week under the guidance of a trained professional will improve your level of strength very quickly.
Flexibility: Flexibility is a more passive skill that involves static holds to elongate the body's muscles.
Stability: Defined as the ability to maintain or control joint movement or position. Stability is achieved by the coordinating actions of surrounding tissues and the neuromuscular system.
Mobility: Mobility is the ability to move a limb or joint through a full range of motion with control. Mobility is voluntary and requires strength to perform the action.
Both mobility and flexibility are important skills for any athlete to posses but often the development of these skills are neglected during training. The more mobile an individual the more easily and freely they can execute the athletic task. Whether throwing a roundhouse kick, swinging a golf club or just picking up a bag of groceries, greater mobility always equals improved performance.
Every person is going to have unique mobility challenges and to remedy them I highly suggest meeting with a professional and educating yourself on how to properly treat your specific condition.
However, some of the more common mobility Issues I see frequently at the gyms in Santa Monica involve impingement of the hips and shoulders. A great way to improve mobility is through myofascial release and various exercises specifically designed to target the proper movement of a joint or limb. Below are two ways to increase the mobility of your hips and shoulders.
