Muscle strains

At the start of the season, most athletes are feeling primed and excited to get back on the field/track/court.

With the winter sports season commencing, our pre-season conditioning should be keeping us from getting injured.

However, the addition of cold weather and the back to back frequency of game weeks can sometimes cause unwanted and unexpected injuries in the form of muscle strains.

Whether its pulled hamstrings, quadriceps or groin strains, muscle strains can put a huge halt to your in-season performance.

It’s really important to manage these in the right way and put some extra work in to make sure it doesn’t happen again (or in the first place).

Here’s three ways how:

1. Strengthen the muscle

Super important is muscle strength. The stronger the muscle is, the less likely it is to tear, makes sense?

Different muscles need different levels and types of strength (e.g. hamstrings need to contract and stretch rapidly for someone that sprints) so it’s really important to find the right exercises.

Hamstring nordic curls

Hamstring switches – faster contractions

Reverse Nordics – Quadriceps

2. Stretch/roll

Stretching muscles allow them to be a little bit more flexible. This means the muscle can get longer before it risks tearing.

Rolling/massaging the muscles also works in a similar manner

Foam roller – calves

3. Recover

Hydrate and eat well – your muscles need the best nutrients they can get to build up again after a training session

Sleep – if you don’t get enough rest before big training sessions, your risk of straining a muscle increases.

These are three simple ways to avoid these injuries. If you’re having trouble managing a certain issue don’t hesitate to contact us to get specific exercises, advice and treatment to help your recovery.