Editor’s note: Dana Santas, aka “Mobility Manufacturer” is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Mind-Body Coach in professional sports and author of “Practical Solutions to Back Pain Relief.”
CNN
—
Whether you’re a former athlete looking to get back into summer sports or just want to join in on the family kickball game, My back hurts Don’t worry if you feel embarrassed for the next few weeks and can’t express yourself in front of your friends and family.
To help ensure everyone can safely and effectively return to seasonal recreational activities, I enlisted four of my closest friends and fellow coaches in the professional sports world to share their expert insights and practical tips for staying active, improving your performance, and enjoying summer activities without getting injured.
Read on to learn how you can maximize your summer sports potential and get back competing.
Jason GlassAs a top performance coach who trains top athletes on the PGA Tour, he emphasizes the importance of daily habits. “Whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend golfer, you can’t be prepared for the day of the match,” he says. “Proper preparation comes from daily habits.”
Glass recommends creating a daily lifestyle checklist of what he calls the “corner five.”
Sleep like it’s work: Quality sleep Sleep is essential for recovery and performance, so aim for consistent, restful sleep.
Stay hydrated: Drink half your body weight in water per day — that’s 100 ounces per day for a 200-pound athlete.
Eat clean: Know what’s in your food and how it affects your body. This awareness will help you make better choices on game day.
Works beautifully: Engage in activities that make you feel good every day. yoga or WeightliftingListen to your body.
Live with Intention: Train with a specific outcome in mind, even taking a nap to rest up before a big game.
At the end of each day, Glass recommends giving yourself a score on each of these five fundamentals, using a scale of 0 to 5. Aim for a total of 20 points or more. At the end of each day. “Master these five fundamentals before you add in other ways to improve your performance,” he suggested.
Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images
Hydration is important for athletes. Here, the Nigerian women’s soccer team takes a hydration break during a match against Brazil in Bordeaux, France, on July 25 during the 2024 Olympic Games.
Bill BurgosThe former head of strength and conditioning for three NBA teams has some advice for those returning to sports after a hiatus: “It’s really important for people who haven’t participated in sports activity for quite some time to start doing it safely and effectively,” he noted, adding that people shouldn’t wait until game day to resume.
Burgos’ three tips are:
Prepare your body for exercise: use Foam Rolling Dynamic stretching exercises Walking lunge with elbows on the top of the feet and Walking on knees Increases flexibility and mobility.
Gradually increase your heart rate. Start with low-intensity exercise, such as a slow jog, and gradually increase the intensity. Medium strength Imitate your sport.
Listen to your body: Pay attention to how your body feels and adjust the intensity of your training accordingly.
Maintaining strength and speed
Paul Fournier, strength and conditioning coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers and a player in major league baseball for more than 30 years, emphasizes the importance of strength and speed for longevity and injury prevention. “Maintaining strength and speed of movement is key to preventing chronic pain and injury,” he asserts.
Stuart McFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images
Incorporating weight training into your daily routine can help you stay fit. Pictured here, Arsenal soccer star Ben White works out at the Los Angeles Rams facility in Thousand Oaks, California on July 23.
Fournier recommends incorporating exercises, weight training, sprints and plyometrics into your routine. He suggests starting with two sessions per week that include the following:
Low level plyometrics: Skipping rope, step-ups, and light medicine ball exercises will build nervous system and muscular endurance.
Core Strengthening: Do exercises like the plank Dead insects Rolling out increases torso stability and protects your back.
strength training: It focuses on lower body compound movements such as lunges and squats, and also incorporates isolated upper body movements such as chest presses, rows and dumbbells. curl.
Matt NicholThe coach, who has 30 years of experience working with professional and Olympic athletes, stresses the importance of a proper warm-up: “Warming up is just as important as the training,” he says.
Hendrik Dekkers/Borussia Dortmund/Getty Images
Maintaining a daily routine helps keep weekend athletes and professional athletes prepared. Pictured here, German soccer team Borussia Dortmund trains in Osaka, Japan, on July 23.
Nicole offers these practical warm-up tips:
Arrive early: Just as professional athletes arrive at least three hours early on game day, allow extra time to warm up before any recreational activity or competition.
Walk More: Park a little further away and get some light movement in. walk for your activities.
Get warm: Avoid stretching cold muscles, and instead perform sport-specific movements (running, dribbling, swinging a bat or racket, etc.) at a lower intensity and gradually increase in speed until you reach game speed.
Listen to your body’s cues: Pay attention if you experience any aches or pains while warming up, as these could be signs of injury. It’s better to back off the intensity for one game than to push yourself too hard and miss the entire season.
As a professional sports mobility coach for over 20 years, my job is to help athletes move through the fullest range of motion in their sporting positions. To do this, I encourage athletes to follow three strategies:
Have clear goals and a plan to achieve them: Your goals should align with the needs of your sport and give you direction. Your Mobility ProgramFor example, if you want to return to golf, tennis, or other rotational sports, focus on mobility exercises that improve rotation.
Builds strong, powerful movements. Enhanced movements that improve sports performance require strength and power to support the movement. As Fournier stated: Core Strengthening It is essential for stabilizing the lower back and preventing injury. Core strength and stability are also the foundation for generating power through spine and limb movement.
Practice controlled movements: Simply Don’t Be Too Reliant stretch This is to create passive range of motion during activity that can lead to injury.
Instead, focus on tTargeted strength and mobility exercises Promotes control at the extreme range of motion.
For example, instead of performing seated toe touches as a passive hamstring stretch, One-legged romanian deadlift It stretches and strengthens the hamstrings while improving pelvic stability and mobility.
Before you head out to join the neighborhood basketball game or sign up for the town softball league, keep these actionable insights in mind to improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury.
Sign up for CNN’s “Fitness, But Better” newsletter series. Build healthy habits with expert help in this 7-part guide.
