Athletico Health Resources

As people continue to focus on their health and find new ways to work out and exercise throughout the pandemic, some may turn to boxing. Whether a newcomer to boxing or an experienced veteran, we could all use a reminder on form and safety to decrease the risk of injury.

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Trail running is a great way to spice up your running routine by getting a little closer to nature! However, trails are hardly ever forgiving. Often, they are teeming with treacherous inclines and declines, switchbacks, hairpin turns, fallen trees and branches, and errant rocks looking to sideline you. A review of 22 various studies regarding trail runners revealed that the most vulnerable anatomical sites to injury on the trail are the plantar foot, ankle, Achilles tendon, knee and lower back.¹

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Cheerleading is a potentially high risk sport and it involves extensive and consistent training.

Participation in cheerleading ranges from young kids through collegiate athletes. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) estimates approximately 400,000 students participate in U.S. high school cheerleading annually, including competitive squads.¹ Cheerleaders can be found at the elementary, junior high, high school, and collegiate levels as well as at park districts or private competitive gyms. Cheerleading squads can be all-girl or co-ed.

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As a runner, I have been told by friends or family that running will “wear out your joints,” that “it causes osteoarthritis,” and that it “is bad for your knees.” Although most of these comments were few and far between, they stuck with me. Since becoming a physical therapist, I started to hear comments like this more frequently. However, this does not line up exactly with my understanding of the human body and how it responds to various stimuli. So I explored the question: Does running cause arthritis and should I be worried?

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“When things look worst, we run the most.” This is a quote from Christopher McDougall in the famous book Born to Run and how, in times of great stress, we run. McDougall mentions three times in this country’s history that there have been substantial running booms: the Great Depression, Vietnam, and September 11th¹. “Maybe it was a coincidence. Or maybe there’s a trigger in the human psyche, a coded response that activates our first and greatest survival skill when we sense the raptors approaching.” – Born to Run.

It is reasonable to think that we are currently in the midst of this country’s fourth running boom due to the uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus. So, now is the perfect opportunity to speak on one of the more common symptoms with running: the dreaded side stitch.

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Do you have a surgery planned soon? Is your sport physically demanding and places you at increased risk of injury? Are you worried about weakness in your joints as you age? Preventative rehabilitation may be the key for you!

Preventative rehabilitation or “pre-hab” helps condition and strengthen the body to improve recovery after surgery, speed up the recovery process and may prevent injury from occurring. Oftentimes, we group pre-hab into two main categories: Prior to surgery and injury prevention. In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of both of these pre-hab programs.

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As we continue to navigate the current pandemic, athletes, coaches and teams alike have been closely monitoring whether or not they’ll be able to return to their sport. Many athletes may find themselves excited to return to sports but are they physically ready to jump right back in? These are some considerations for athletes, parents and coaches should they be allowed to return to sports after this break.
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Normally, athletes would be in the midst of their summer sports leagues in preparation for the upcoming school sports season. Due to COVID-19, our athletes are now participating in online and virtual practices with their teams, with some states just starting modified live training. One aspect that should not be overlooked as high school sports associations plan for fall sports seasons, is how our athletes are continuing to stay strong despite closed gyms and school weights rooms. While working out at home is an option, you may find you’re limited due to lack of equipment and your environment.

To help, here are a few exercises athletes can do to strengthen their legs and help prevent knee injuries. This quick 3-part workout can be done at home using only a chair and adding some tempos and holds.

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