Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Legs Alert

Mention tennis injuries and what will probably come to mind will most likely be shoulders, elbows and maybe back injuries right?

Well, not quite if you look at a paper published by a multinational group of physiotherapists and physicians working on the ATP World Tour. The paper showed that the main areas for concern (at least among the world's elite tennis players) are the lower limbs.

Leg injuries accounted for 39-65% of injuries sustained, followed by arm/ shoulder at 24-46% while head/ trunk accounted for 8-22% of injuries.

This is not surprising as tennis involves many multi directional movements requiring players to accelerate, decelerate, twisting and cutting etc.

The researchers suggested making the player's hips more stable to reduce ankle and thigh injuries. Come see us or talk to us at Sports Solutions regarding conditioning for your tennis both to prevent injuries and to enhance your performance.

Reference

Ellenbecker TS,  Pluim B et al (2009). Common Injuries In Tennis Players: Exercises To Address Muscular Imbalances And Reduce Injury Risk. Strength & Conditioning Journal.31(4) : pp 50-58.

Photo of Gael Monfils by Associated Press

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