Athletico Health Resources

January is all about loosening the shoulders up! This month we will take a look at four different stretches that will loosen up the muscles in the chest, the shoulder girdle, and in the front and back of the arm. Please remember to honor your body and not overly push yourself in these moves. The shoulder has a very wide range of motion and can be easily injured if stressed too far, so please listen and be aware of what your body is telling you.  (more…)

The final stretch of this month is what we call in yoga, child’s pose. It’s a wonderfully grounding stretch. If you feel stressed out, its nice to calm the nerves and mind. Especially with the holidays the past few weeks, this stretch is an excellent one to end the month with. The benefits of this stretch are: clams the brain and helps relieve stress, stretches the hips and thighs, and stretches the ankles as well. This pose is again not recommended for people with severe knee injuries or if you are in your third trimester of pregnancy. (more…)

This weeks stretch is called the hero stretch. This one can be very difficult for many people because of tight ankles AND quads, so please go back to the last three weeks‘ stretches to warm up and prepare for this stretch. I do not recommend the stretch for people that have severe knee or ankle problems. The benefits of the stretch are: stretches thighs, knees, and ankles; improves digestion; helps to reduce swelling in the legs for pregnant women; helps to strengthen the arches of the feet.

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Week 3 of our quad stretches is low or high lunge, depending on your comfort level. I know, you’re going to say, “But Rachel this is almost the same stretch as last week, King Arthur!” I assure it is not 😉 The benefits of this stretch are; it stretches all the hip flexors, (psoas, quadriceps, etc), stretches into the abdominal muscles and up into the chest. It’s a deeper, whole front body stretch as opposed to King Arthur targeting more the quad. I don’t advise this stretch for people with knee injuries. (more…)

Week 2 of this months quadriceps stretches is the King Arthur stretch. Hopefully you have tried week one, frog stretch I, and you have gotten some insight as to how tight your thigh muscles really are. If you have not tried that stretch yet, please go back and attempt it, as it is a good warm-up for this stretch. I do not recommend this stretch for people that have knee injuries or severe chronic knee problems, as it is hard on the knee. The benefits of this pose are: it stretches the hip flexors and the quadriceps. (more…)

For the avid runners who are determined to keep their mileage up despite colder temperatures, it’s time to get prepared. Running in colder temperatures is not a problem as long as you stay smart, healthy and alert. Read our 5 Tips for Running in Cold Weather below:  (more…)

This month we will be focusing on stretching our quadriceps and hip flexors. These group of muscles can be very tight on quite a lot of people because of all the sitting and driving we do as a society. This can sometimes lead to knee pain or hip pain. Even just the simple act of sitting back on our heels can cause a great deal of discomfort for some, so please be patient with yourself this month! Practice these regularly and the front of the thighs will eventually loosen up! Please listen to your body as always, and back off if you feel pain that is not a “stretchy” discomfort. (more…)

The gymnastics and cheer seasons’ are underway! Check out our second blog focusing on staying healthy during the gymnastics and cheerleading season. Our second blog by Melissa Winterhalter, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, specializes in gymnastics and performing arts. She is a Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist and a NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. (more…)