Injury Prevention: An Integral Part of your Training Program

Many leading experts in both the strength and conditioning and physical therapy fields believe that there should be little difference between training programs and rehabilitation programs for athletes. The concepts for both are based on preparing the body for the stresses of sport as well as enhancing performance. Force production, force reduction, acceleration, deceleration, explosive power, speed and endurance must all be addressed whether an athlete is in rehab, post-rehab or training. The differences lie in the progression and intensity of each program.

The following are some examples of exercises that integrate injury prevention and performance enhancement principles into a training program. Unlike traditional isolated body part exercises, these exercises are designed to involve multiple muscle groups and joints, in order to mimic what occurs during sport activity. In tennis, effective upper body strength comes from lower body power that can be successfully transferred through a strong core.

(Please note: If you have an existing injury you should be cleared by your physical therapist to return to activity before progressing to these exercises.)

LOWER BODY - Perform 10-12 reps for 2-3 sets of the following exercises:

Ankle Injury Prevention/Training:

1 Leg Standing Calf Raise on an Unstable Surface (such as barefoot on a mat, a dynadisk pillow, or a rolled sit-up mat): Holding a free weight in one hand, perform the calf raises with the added challenge of balancing. This will strengthen all the small muscles around the ankle joint.
Hammer Strength Tibia Dorsiflexion Machine: If you have this machine in your facility, use it in all three modalities (straight, foot turned in, foot turned out) to strengthen the ankle joint and calf.
Ankle Hops: Quick hops on either 1 or 2 feet. Go through the whole foot each time on takeoff and after landing, and try to push off the floor as quickly as possible.

Ankle and Quadricep Injury Prevention/Training:

1 Leg Squat and Touch: Start by placing a cone or bench in front of you, a few feet away so that you have to bend fairly low to reach it. Start on one leg with your arms outstretched with hands together in front. Bend your knee deeply as you reach forward to touch the cone or bench. (Repeat 6-10 times for 2-3 sets on each leg.)
Advanced Version#1: Place cones in a triangle in front of you so that you have to reach forward, right and left. Keep you fingers/hands together to increase the difficulty.
Advanced Version#2: Same as above but standing on an unstable surface (mat, dynadisk pillow) or try it with your eyes closed to increase the balance challenge.
Bench Steps: Perform a bench step-up on one leg at a time, alternating legs, stepping up to the side, and finally progressing to bench jumps, either forward or over the side of the bench. Do 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps and progress to the jumps after the steps seem fairly easy.
Stationary Lunges with 1 Leg Elevated: Stand in a lunge position with one leg up on a step or bench. Holding 2 dumbbells, bend both knees to lunge downward, then return to starting position. Weight should be 70% on the front leg and 30% on the back leg. Advanced Versions: Have the standing leg be on an unstable surface or balance the back leg on a stability ball.

UPPER BODY- Perform 10-12 reps for 2-3 sets of the following exercises:

Push-ups on 2 Stability Balls: Choose 2 stability balls either the same size or 2 different sizes. Assume a push-up position with one hand on each ball. Lower and push-up, keeping the balls balanced under you. This is not as hard as it sounds!
Dumbbell Chest Flyes/Presses on Stability Ball: Place a stability ball under your shoulder blades keeping your body straight by supporting your hips in a position parallel to the floor. Using 2 dumbbells, perform a flye or a chest press while keeping on balance.
Advanced Version: Do 1 arm at a time and keep the non-working arm bent over your head, holding the ball.
1 Leg Standing Row on a Weighted Pulley: Stand facing the machine with the pulley positioned at waist level, using the hand grip attachment. Using one arm at a time, perform a rowing motion while balancing on 1 leg, pulling the handle into your waist as you twist slightly. You will feel substantial core involvement as you fight to balance.
Low Pulley Front Raises/ 1 or 2 Arms: Stand with your back to the machine with the pulley in the lowest position. Grasp the hand grips so that the pulley is coming from behind as you raise your arms. (Depending on the type of machine, you may or may not be able to do both arms together.) Raise one or both straight arms in front to shoulder height, slightly towards the center, and then lower them back to your sides keeping the body straight and supported through the core.
Advanced Version: Do 1 or 2 arms same as above while balancing on 1 leg.

CORE:

Dumbbell Twists on a Stability Ball: Hold a dumbbell in both hands at waist height while sitting on a stability ball. Twist freely from side to side while maintaining your balance. As you improve, try to lift one leg at a time and continue to twist and balance.
Bridges on Stability Ball Using 1 or 2 Legs: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the stability ball. Slowly bridge up, pushing your hips towards the ceiling. As you improve, try one leg at a time.

Remember to breathe, exhaling during the exertion. Keep the shoulders relaxed and the core tight by thinking of pulling the navel in as you exhale. Add these to your strength and conditioning program and you will be pleased with the results on the court. Happy Training!