|
|
To make an appointment, call 952.831.TRIA (8742)
|
|
 |
Activity:
Swimming
Click here to view injury prevention tips for Swimming.
The average swimmer completes over a million shoulder rotations per year, per arm. With those kinds of numbers, it's no mystery why overuse of the shoulder is a major issue among avid swimmers. Statistics show that 66% of competitive swimmers will have a shoulder injury within their lifetime, that's higher than baseball pitchers, volleyball players, and even javelin throwers. Learn more about how to prevent injury and protect your body while swimming.
Preventing Injury for
Swimming
Here are some tips for how to avoid injury while swimming:
- Avoid technique pitfalls. Weaving down lane, arm crossing midline,"snaking", inconsistent kick beats, limited or excessive body roll, dropped elbow and shortening of stroke can create a breeding ground for injury.
- Strengthen the shoulder. Spend time doing exercises that strengthen the muscles attaching to the shoulder blade (scapula), these include the serratus anterior, subscapularis, lower trapezius, and external rotators. This will help remedy muscle imbalances in the shoulder area.
- Balance pool time with dry land training. Dry land training is vital for bone density development and closed chain activity.
- Beware of swimming aides. Kick boards, pull buoys, and paddles can all create unnatural positions for your body, which can lead to injury. Kick boards place undo stress on the shoulder, pull buoys increases stress to the spine, and paddles restrict normal body roll.
- Be wary of stretching. Leading researchers have determined that stretching can actually be detrimental. If you plan on stretching, the best time to do so if after you are done swimming to reduce the risk of damage. It is not recommended to do the following stretches: arm across body, partner stretch with arms hyper extended behind back, and overhead stretch.
- Remember your core. Your core body, the back, abdominal (not the 6 pack abs), and buttock muscles, are key for preventing injury. These muscles deep inside wrap around your spine and provide stability for the whole body. Strength here can help eliminate muscle imbalance and weakness elsewhere.
Common Conditions for
Swimming
If you didn't find what you were looking for, try searching
General Conditions.
|
|
|