Before, during, and after exercise injury prevention

Legs, upper body, static vs dynamic, rolling out,

1. Leg use: Calves, hamstrings, quads, hips, groin, IT band, glutes.

Dynamic (Before):

• Leg swings forward and backward targets hips, groin, hamstrings, glutes.
• Leg swings side to side targets groin and hips.
• Walking lunges targets quads, hamstrings, glutes, hips
• High knees targets hips, quads, calves
• Butt kicks targets hamstrings, glutes, calves
• Grapevine targets IT band, groin, and core

Static (After):

• Stretch calves against a wall by putting foot on a wall and your heel on the ground while keeping a straight leg. Switch.
• Stretch hamstrings by touching toes standing or sitting.
• Stretch quads by grabbing foot behind butt. Switch.
• Stretch hips by extending one leg straight behind you and the other bent with your shin perpendicular to your body and pressing down chest into the ground. Switch legs.
• Stretch groin by extending feet apart beyond shoulder width on your feet until tight.
• Stretch IT band by crossing legs standing up and leaning to side until tight. Switch.

2. Upper body use: Shoulders, neck, chest, core, arms, back

Dynamic (Before):

• Arm circles works shoulders. Extend arms out to sides and rotate in circles. Both directions getting bigger circles.
• Cross-body arm swings works shoulders, chest, upper back. Extend arms out of sides and cross in front to opposite shoulders and back.
• Torso twists works core and lower back. Standing or sitting twist at the waist from side to side.
• Chest openers work chest, shoulders, and upper back. Put both hands behind head with elbows out and press elbows backwards repeatedly.
• Head rolls works neck and upper back. Roll head in circles both directions.
• Tricep stretch by raising one arm overhead and bending at the elbow and reaching your hand down the back. Other hand gently presses down on the elbow. Hold then switch.
• Bicep and forearm stretch by extending one arm in from of you at shoulder heights with the palm facing up. Other hand pulls down on fingers. Hold then switch.

Static (After):

• Stretch neck by placing hand on head and pulling to the side. Hold and switch.
• Stretch shoulders by grabbing elbow across chest and pulling tight. Hold.
• Stretch triceps by grabbing bend elbow over head and pulling tight. Hold.
• Stretch bicep by sitting down with bent knees and feet flat. Put palms on the floor behind you and slowly slide you butt from your hands to stretch biceps. Hold.
• Stretch chest by facing wall and extending arms out to the side at shoulder height and palm against the wall. Turn body away from the wall and hold.
• Stretch back by sitting with bent knees and twisting and holding on both sides.
• Stretch core by laying on chest and pushing off the ground with hips on the ground and hold.

3. Foam Rolling: Roll over each muscle putting weight on the parts that are the most sore and roll for 20–30 seconds.

4. Yoga:

My personal yoga instruction:

Child’s pose (5–10 breaths), Down dog. (5), Walk to top of mat, forward fold.

Extended mountain pose. You can cue a small back bend or side stretches.

Then do 5 Sun salutations. Extended mountain. Forward fold. Halfway lift. Chatarunga.

Up dog. down dog. Hold down dog and breathe. Then walk forward and repeat.

Then do sun sal Bs. Chair pose. Forward fold. Halfway lift

Chatarunga, updog down dog. Warrior 1 right side. Chatarunga, up down. Warrior 1 left side. Chat.,up, down.

Repeat and start with chair. Maybe balance sequence. Eagle both sides. Dancer. Tree. A heat opener — bridge or camel or wheel. An inversion, shoulder stand would work

Savasana.

5. Stretch Bands: Choose the right resistance for you based on strength and flexibility. You can do a lot of the same stretches above but with a resistance band. Make sure it has the right tension. You can gradually progress to stronger resistance bands. Make sure your movements are controlled and not sharp.

6. Proper breathing in exercises: Inhale as you contract, exhale as you expand. Inhale before the stretch, exhale as you are stretching, inhale as you release.