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As we enter the Winter Season it is
highly important that we maintain good health and not allow our
bodies to fall victim to the cold! Lots of stretching before
entering the pool everytime is crucial to increase warm muscles and
decrease cramping and stiffness! Please read the articles below and
share with your athletes!
"Seven Steps to
Preventing Injury"
By Melanie McMullen // Swimnetwork Correspondent
Swimming is considered a low-impact sport that doesn’t
present as many acute injuries as the strains and sprains common
among football and basketball players. But swimmers are by no means
immune to injury. Dara Torres has undergone three shoulder
surgeries and a hernia repair, and has knee surgery scheduled for
later this year. Early in her career, superstar Natalie Coughlin
suffered through a torn labrum in her left shoulder that resulted
in 1.5 years of physical therapy.
Avoiding injury isn’t always possible, but swimmers of any
age can take steps to keep the body healthy. For preventive advice,
Swimnetwork spoke with Ryan Dean, athletic trainer for the
women’s and men’s swim teams at the University of
Wisconsin. A graduate of the University of Wyoming, Dean is not
only a sports training expert but also a swimmer himself, competing
in his first meet at age six. He offered these seven steps to
injury prevention.
1) Avoid too much, too soon.
Dean warns that more injuries occur at the start of the season vs.
the end.
“As some athletes return to practice, their bodies are not
physically prepared for the rigors of intense daily
workouts,” he says. In response to this sudden stress,
injuries can develop. So start up slowly, avoiding rapid increases
in training distances or frequency of training. And if that
isn’t possible, make sure your off-season training is up to
par.
2) Correct improper body mechanics.
Another cause of early season injury can be improper form, says
Dean. If a swimmer has just returned from a long break, their form
may have become sloppy or even ineffective. Improper mechanics can
result in a variety of injuries.
“Several times athletes have come to me complaining of elbow
or shoulder pain. Before these evolve into full blown injuries, I
ask the coaching staff to correct any flaws in their mechanics. On
most occasions, the coaches are able to identify and fix the
problem, which leads to a resolution of their symptoms,” says
Dean.
3) Tweak the small stuff.
Trainers estimate that swimmers complete as many as 16,000 shoulder
revolutions in a one-week period. So it’s no surprise that
swimmers are at risk for repetitive stress injuries. Dean notes
that tendonitis (inflammation of tendons), neuritis
(inflammation/aggravation of nerves) and shoulder impingement
(similar to tendonitis) are the most common, and swimmers are
particularly vulnerable to bicep tendonitis and ulnar neuritis.
Minor changes to technique, however, can be effective. Deans notes
that a freestyle swimmer whose elbows enter the water before their
hands will most likely suffer from elbow and/or ulnar nerve pain.
But by correcting this small error in form, the swimmer will find
their stroke much more comfortable and efficient over the long
term.
4) Focus on flexibility.
While a runner can tape an ankle to prevent an ankle sprain, injury
prevention in swimming is a little more difficult, due to the high
number of muscle groups incorporated in swimming. One of the best
strategies for injury prevention is to increase flexibility,
recommends Dean. “The more elasticity that a muscle or tendon
has, the easier it is for that structure to avoid
injury.”
Do land exercises to keep the body strong.
While flexibility is a plus, exercises such as yoga and pilates can
increase strength and help prevent injury. “Flexibility is
important, but flexibility with strength and body awareness is even
better,” says Dean.
5) Don’t skip the warm up.
Avoid starting your practice too hard or too fast. Doing a
proper, relaxed warm up in swimming - as in any sport - is critical
to preventing injury.
6) Proper hydration can prevent muscle cramps.
The two main causes of cramps are dehydration and/or electrolyte
depletion. Because of that, diet - or more specifically hydration -
is vital to performance in swimming. “Many athletes neglect
the role that electrolytes, primarily sodium, potassium and
chloride, play in the body,” says Dean. These salts are all
found within the cells of the muscle and are vital to its proper
function. So while drinking plenty of water is great, don’t
forget to replenish your electrolytes with electrolyte tablets or a
sports drink.
7) Ownership.
Finally, Dean recommends that avoiding injury is easier if an
athlete takes ownership of their own health and well-being.
“Develop your own mind and beliefs instead of relying on
those of others.”
"Preventing Knee
Injuries"
This
week’s Speedo Tip of the Week comes from strength and
conditioning specialist Mike Mejia, author of “The
Men’s Health Gym Bible.” Mejia recommends some
exercises that might help prevent knee injuries.
Mejia’s Tip:
Although the shoulders receive most of the attention from an injury
prevention standpoint, the knees are also an area that should be of
particular concern to swimmers.
This holds especially true for females, whose inherent anatomical
structure makes them far more prone to knee injuries than their
male counterparts. Their wider hips, in relation to the position of
their knees (known as the Q-angle) places an inordinate amount of
stress on the medial, or inner aspect of the joint, most
specifically on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It also
causes them to rely too heavily on their quadriceps, which can
alter the normal mechanics of the knee joint resulting in a painful
condition known as patellofemoral syndrome.
While it’s true that knee injuries like these are far more
common in ground-based sports like soccer and basketball, the
constant pushing off of the blocks and off the walls during flip
turns makes them a growing concern for young swimmers. That’s
why exercises like the ones featured here should be a regular part
of your dryland workouts. They’ll help strengthen those
under-used gluteals and hamstrings and stretch muscles that are
pulling your knees out of their natural alignment.
Butterfly Stretch: Sit up straight with the soles of your feet
touching each other as you press your knees down towards the floor.
Hold for 20-30 seconds, then rest and repeat.
Kneeling Quad/ Hip Flexor Stretch: Get down on one knee with your
other leg positioned at 90-degree angle in front of you. Bend your
back knee and grab your ankle as you lean forward on your front
leg. Hold 20-30 seconds, then rest and repeat with the other side.
Do two stretches on each side.
Single Leg Bridge: Lie on your back with your arms folded across
your chest and one leg held up over your hips at a 90 degree angle.
Next, brace your core muscles as you press your foot onto the floor
and use your glutes and hamstrings to lift your hips up until your
body forms a ramp. Hold for a second, then lower and repeat. Do two
sets of 8-10 reps with each side.
Side Lying Abduction: Lie on your side with your ankles, knees,
hips and shoulders stacked. Begin by bracing your core muscles and
using your outer thigh to lift your leg up until it reaches a
45-degree angle to the rest of your body. In doing so, be sure you
lead the movement with the outside of your foot – and not
your toes – to keep the focus on your glutes. Do two sets of
10-15 reps with each side.
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