Flexibility, healthy knees & sports success!

In the last post, we talked about a good warm-up and how it helps build injury-resistant knees. This time, we go to the next step in the process: flexibility training.

You'll note that we don't refer to it as "stretching!" That's because we're more interested in the extensibility of a joint. Extensibility is the ability of a muscle to extend to it’s proper length, shorten (flex) maximally and then return again to proper length. Extensibility is critical to proper joint stabilization, flexibility training is part of developing this innate physical ability.

Stretching/Flexibility training
1. Kneeling hip flexor. Kneel on one knee, with knees at 90°. Keep head and chest high, and bellybutton drawn inward. Squeezing the glute (butt cheek) of the kneeling leg, gently push that hip forward until you feel a stretch on the front of the kneeling leg. Hold for 20-30 seconds. Switch knees and repeat. 2-3 reps on each knee.

2. Lying Hamstring Stretch. Lie on your back with your knees bent only enough to put your feet flat on the ground. Draw your belly button inward and put your low back flat on the floor. Bring one leg up and put your hands around it, just above your knee, on your hamstring. Your upper leg should point at the ceiling through your knee when it’s bent.
Without letting your leg move toward or away from your head, fully extend your leg toward the ceiling, squeezing the quads, or muscles in the front of the thigh, hard. Hold for 5-7 seconds, slowly lower your shin by bending your knee. Keep holding your thigh in place. Repeat 5-6 times per leg.

3. Lateral Lunge Stretch. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Step softly to one side, widening your stance. Press your weight onto the heel and mid-foot of that leg and shift your hips until your hip, knee and ankle are aligned. Keep the "trail" leg straight and foot flat on the floor. Slowly lower your butt toward your heel on the "step" side, until you feel a stretch on the inner thigh of the "trail" leg. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then switch. 3-4 reps on each side.

4. Prone Calf Stretch. Assume a push up position. Once stable, lift one foot off the floor and cross it over the other. Now push back slowly onto the foot on the floor, putting pressure on the calf. Go slow and steady, until the stretch sensation is about 7-8 on a scale of 1-10. Hold for about 20-30 seconds, or until the stretch pain subsides by about 50%. Switch feet and repeat. Perform 2-3 reps on each leg.

The warm up and stretching should take about 10-15 minutes total. Generally, we integrate the exercises to strengthen the knee and leg into the athlete’s workout. You should try to do the same. Integrating flexibility training into your workout protocols will improve even the lamest, most neanderthal lunkhead training programs.

If you're not sure you're doing these movements right, or you just want help, contact us at allstarsportsacademy @ gmail.com.

And don't forget, there's still time to enroll your baseball/softball players in our 2008 Toms River Little League Camp (July 23, 24 & 25) and the 2008 Manchester Little League Camp (August 11, 12 & 13!) Our Camps are the best...just click here and see what "Vanilla" said about our Black Sox Spring Break Camp!

We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!