Athletico Health Resources

Getting into the gym that first time can be pretty intimidating. Especially with that guy screaming in the corner as he deadlifts 400 lbs. Below, we’ll go over a plan you can bring into the gym on your first week and progress independently when you feel comfortable. If you experience any pain while exercising, stop and seek help from a physician or a physical therapist. (more…)

Occupational Therapy

When you think of Occupational Therapy, do you think "work”? Many do! But that is too narrow. Occupational Therapy focuses on returning the student, client, or patient to daily tasks they need/want to do throughout their life. These functional tasks are labeled “occupations” and include feeding, dressing, bathing, house and yard chores, meal preparation, school work, driving, caregiving, recreation, and work too! This list is not exhaustive, and the different “occupations” importance varies with age, injury/illness, and individual goals. For example, in pediatrics, an Occupational Therapist obviously will not work on driving skills with a preschooler. Occupational Therapists evaluate and collaborate with the individual to implement a customized treatment plan and re-evaluate with functional outcome measures to assess progress toward the individual's goals. (more…)

Gymnasts are strong, and they have to be to do their amazing tumbling passes, hang and spin on the bars, and perform their routines on beam or pommel horse. Weight lifting is a common way that many athletes build strength. However, in the gymnastics world, weight lifting has mixed reactions. Historically, many gymnastic coaches and athletes have discouraged weight lifting routines as they may “bulk” up the athlete. Gymnasts need to maintain certain agility and flexibility to perform their skills and be able to fly through the air. The question becomes, “can a gymnast lift weights for strengthening purposes without causing harm?” (more…)

Cheerleading has become one of the fastest-growing sports, and it is no surprise why! Cheerleading has evolved into an activity involving gymnastics, stunts, jumps, and dance jam-packed into a three-minute routine, while most times simultaneously cheering for your school. We hope these tips help you feel more prepared for your big day! (more…)

Being well-rested and getting enough sleep are vital in a healthy pregnancy. Your body is building a baby, which takes a lot of energy! Although sleeping is important during this time, there are many obstacles to getting good sleep when pregnant. With pregnancy comes body aches and pains, leg cramps, the extra weight that can lead to shortness of breath, and insomnia due to changing hormones. Here are 5 tips for prioritizing sleep, despite these hurdles. (more…)

Dry needling is a treatment technique that uses a thin needle to treat underlying muscular trigger points and/or areas of tissue tenderness. This technique can be used to treat patients with musculoskeletal issues, including neck pain, low back pain, sciatica, muscle strains, IT band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, fibromyalgia, and many more. (more…)

Recently seen all over various social media is the cold plunge trend. A cold plunge is where a person immerses themselves in cold or icy water for a certain length of time for various health benefits. The trend has sparked a lot of viewers to try this technique themselves, but we want to make sure you know the pros and cons and focus on performing this trend safely should you decide to try it out. (more…)

Have you ever wondered what exactly athletic trainers do on a daily basis? Well, for beginners, athletic trainers are now employed in so many different settings that each ATC will have a different day-to-day. Over the last decade or so, there has been a significant increase in the scope of an athletic trainer’s practice. Traditional athletic trainers only worked in athletics – that could include secondary schools, colleges, universities, and with professional teams. Currently, athletic trainers are employed in all different settings, such as hospitals, sports medicine clinics, corporate and industrial health care programs, and even military bases. One of the amazing things about being an athletic trainer is every day brings something new! We, as athletic trainers, have our consistent daily tasks, but our day-to-day always look different no matter what setting you work in! (more…)