Athletico Health Resources

“It’s all in the hips. It’s all in the hips.” – Chubbs, Happy Gilmore

Chubbs knows what he’s talking about. In my time working in athletic training, I’ve worked with a wide range of athletes – from pros to weekend warriors. No matter what skill level I’m working with, one consistent problem I find is weak hip muscles. Weak hip muscles put excess strain on several other structures on your body, which can lead to injury or impaired performance. Two of the hip muscles that are consistently under-utilized are the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus. Today, we’ll go over the gluteus medius and hold off on its bigger brother, the gluteus maximus, for the next post. (more…)

Although falling snow is very pretty and makes for a festive feel, it leaves us the task of having to clear our driveways and walkways. Shoveling can be very taxing on the body, leading to injuries, sore muscles, and even catastrophic events. Below are some safety tips on how to avoid injury. (more…)

The holidays are here and this time of year is all about giving, making other people’s holiday wishes come true, and selflessness. But what about you? What have you done for yourself lately? Certainly it wouldn’t hurt to treat yourself while you are out taking care of everyone else. These are the top 5 reasons to get yourself a massage this holiday season. (more…)

While exercise may feel like the last thing you want to do while pregnant, there are many benefits that may make it worth your while. Exercise can benefit the mother to be in the following ways: (more…)

At first, hydration might seem like a dry topic, but there is more to it than just drinking water. Many people may not realize that hydration levels can affect everything from essential bodily functions to your mental and physical performance levels, making it an ideal topic to cover with hordes of athletes returning to their sports this week. (more…)

Working on your balance probably isn’t an integral part of your everyday life, but I’m prepared to make the case that it should be. The benefits for improved balance range from a reduced risk of injury to improving intelligence and even potentially increasing one’s life span. With that in mind, here are my five reasons to work on improving your balance, as well as some ideas on how to get started. (more…)

*Editor’s note: Today’s post was written by Melissa Boger, ATC, CSCS, NASM-PES/CES.

When I am working with golfers, the number one complaint that I hear is low back pain (LBP) while golfing. Many golfers think that LBP is something that they just have to live with or play through. The good news is that LBP during golf can be prevented or significantly reduced by taking some simple steps to help your body move in a healthier more efficient way. LBP can be caused by a number of different reasons ranging from muscle weakness to muscle inflexibility to poor golf posture, but no matter what the reason is, most LBP during golf can be treated by improving on 3 major components:  Mobility, Stability and Strength. (more…)

*Editor’s note: Today’s post was written by Brad Kleine. Brad is a Certified Athletic Trainer, Performance Enhancement Specialist and Certified Kinesio Tape Practitioner.

Those of us with the fishing bug are starting to think about getting out on the water. The thought of the blue gill and crappie spawn and the idea of the bass moving into shallow, sun-warmed water along the edge of our favorite lake or pond starts getting us excited and anxious for spring to fully arrive. We start to re-spool our reels, spend hours in the fishing aisles at the sporting goods stores looking at lures and new rods and wonder when it will be time to take the cover off of that boat to get it ready to get out on the water. (more…)