Ready to Play??

An Ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of cure. Sound familiar?
When it comes to injury rehabilitation, many lessons can be learned as to how
to prevent that injury from happening in the first place.
The problem is we have the mentality that, if it ain't broke, then don't fix
it. This approach leads to ill-prepared athletes who are continually
applying stresses to their bodies which their support structures cannot
handle indefinitely. The result is an injury, either acute or chronic, that
may require the athlete to take significant time to recover from. In the
worst cases, the athlete may not ever fully recover optimal functioning.
While these injuries are great for the sports medicine industry, they can be
emotionally and physically traumatizing for a competitive or recreational
athlete.
If you are serious about your sport, you should consider "prehabilitating"
yourself prior to diving into your competitive schedule.
Before beginning any conditioning program, you must first consider the
following:
1) What are my strengths and weaknesses?
You probably already have a good idea of your weakest link. The problem is
that you don't want to dedicate time to it because it is likely the most
boring to train (i.e. core strength).
2) What are the demands of my sport/position?
Each sport/position offers its own unique demands that should specifically be
addressed before hitting the gym to do your bodybuilding routine from Flex
magazine!
3) How much time do I have to train?
Depending on your schedule, you may have very limited time to devote to
physical preparation. In that case, refer back to your strengths and
weaknesses and address what you need to do on a priority basis. You may have
the best bodybuilding routine in the league, but that doesn't necessarily
mean that you will have first-step quickness on the basketball court, or
shoulder endurance/stability for throwing a baseball/softball.
         By taking a logical approach to your sport conditioning, you can
significantly reduce the likelihood of injury and, in the end, maximize your
ability to perform to your potential.

Mike Wilson is a strength and conditioning specialist for PURSUIT Training
and Rehabilitation, located in the Cloverdale Athletic Park. Register now
for PURSUIT's summer sport conditioning camps and soccer camps. For more
information, call 604-574-2895.

Mike Wilson

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