With the summer winding down and students heading back to school, we’re now heading into football season. Players are training, both on the field and off, to have the best season that they can. They are conditioning themselves to not only become faster and stronger, but to build a body that can sustain the season injury-free.
Of course, if you ask a player when they would consider seeing a physical therapist, the answer would be, “If I get injured.” They do not consider seeing a physical therapist as a preventative course of action OR as someone who can improve their athletic performance.
Seeing a physical therapist as part of a pre-season training regimen can allow a player to get an evaluation on muscle weaknesses and bodily imbalances. In the event that a problem area is determined, the PT would then review exercises to keep the small weakness or imbalance from becoming a major injury. Sure, most every football player wants to gain strength, but a PT can also review flexibility, coordination, and range of motion – all pieces of the human body puzzle that can, in turn, make you healthier overall.
When a player wants to get bigger, stronger, and faster, he will no doubt first go to his team’s strength and conditioning coach, or even a personal trainer at his local gym. Players will not initially consider seeing a PT to improve performance on the field…but they should. As specialists in musculoskeletal care, physical therapists can run orthopedic tests and assessments to expose functional difficulties in seemingly healthy players. The player may feel great otherwise, but things like muscular timing, or weaknesses in the supplemental muscles of larger body parts could be discovered. With a therapy routine, strength and conditioning that complements that of the team, and practiced consistent (and corrected) movements, the player will soon find himself performing at his absolute best.
Preparing for your season? Looking to get to your optimal best? Contact us today or stop in and see us!
Published August 23, 2016 | Posted in Portsmouth PT Blog Posts.
