By Briana Adamovsky
From the desk of: Senior Head Recruiting Coach Adrienne Treado
Tennis is a game of repetition and long hours of training and tournament competition. Not only does it require one to adapt to various weather conditions, it is vital to maintain strength and continue to stretch and warm-up well before competition. Like any sport that puts physical strain on the body, avid tennis players experience common injuries. Here are some tips to prevent injury and sustain your tennis physique.
Shoulder injuries are much too common among junior tennis players. The rotator cuff is used to stabilize the ball and socket during tennis play and overhead activities. Similar to sports such as swimming and volleyball, the repetitive nature of tennis often leads to overuse type injuries in the shoulder area. In order to prevent injuries to the shoulder joint, junior tennis players can perform several exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles and muscles around the shoulder blade or scapula. The following exercises should be done using a very light weight and gradually progressing as strengths improves.
1. Sidelying External Rotation: Lie on uninvolved side, with involved arm at side, with a small pillow between arm and body. Keeping elbow of involved arm bent and fixed to the side, raise arm and hand upward into external rotation. Slowly lower to the starting position and repeat.
2. Shoulder Extension: Lie on table (stomach side) with arm hanging straight toward the floor. It is important that the thumb be pointed outward, away from your body. Raise your arm slowly straight back into extension, toward your hip. Slowly lower than arm to the starting position and repeat.
3. Prone Horizontal Abduction: Lie on table (stomach side) with involved arm hanging down toward the floor. It is important that the thumb be pointed outward, away from your body. Raise arm out to the side, until it is nearly parallel to the floor. Slowly lower arm and repeat.
Back injuries are also a common drag for junior tennis players who train all year long. In order to prevent back injury it is crucial to strengthen the core of the body, which consists of the stomach and back muscles that tie the upper and lower body together. Increasing core strength can lead to a greater capacity for speed generation, improved ability to change direction (agility), improved balance and posture, and decreased risk of injury. It is difficult to choose a basic exercise that will give equal emphasis to the upper and lower areas of the abdominals, and many times incorrect training causes muscle imbalance of the core. Here are a few exercises that will lead to strengthening of the both the upper and lower abdominal muscles.
1. Crunches - (Focus: Upper abdominal muscles) With arms folded across the chest or upper abdominals, lie face up on the mat and flex the knees to bring the heels close to buttocks. While keeping the lower back and feet flat on the floor/mat, tuck chin close to chest and curl upper body towards the thighs until the shoulders and upper back are off of the mat. Hold this position for a 1 second pause in order to really feel the upper abdominal muscles working. Now, lower the shoulders then the head to the mat. (Slowly count to 4 while lowering) Pause at the bottom for only a brief moment. Repeat for desired amount of sets and reps.
2. Leg Raises - (Focus: Lower abdominal muscles) Lie face up on the mat with lower back and the heels on the floor/mat. The legs are straight out (no bending of the knees). While keeping the lower back on the mat, raise the heels 1 foot off of the floor, pause for a count of 1, and lower the heels to the floor. Only touch the floor lightly and for only a brief moment. In the bottom position, it is important not to pause and also not to bounce. Repeat for the desired amount of sets and reps.
3. Twister - (Focus: Obliques/Rotational power) Lie face up on the mat with arms straight out to the sides so a T is formed with the body. Hold the legs together and flex the knees to form a 90 degree angle of the lower and upper leg. Feet are in the air. With the back and shoulders remaining on the floor throughout the movement, slowly lower the knees to the right side. Lower the knees as far as your range of motion will allow, and then lift the legs back over your hips and to the left side. Repeat this process for the desired amount of sets and reps.
4. Superman/Superwoman - (Focus: Lower back spinal column) One will look like Clark Kent/Superman flying while doing this. Lie face down on the floor in a relaxed position with arms extended straight out in front of the head. Raise the head, the left arm and the right leg. (Opposite arm and leg) Slowly return to the relaxed position with the forehead down between repetitions. Then raise the right arm and the left leg. Slowly return to the relaxed position. Repeat for the desired amount of sets and repetitions.
In addition to maintaining strength in the core and shoulders, there are basic ways to stay healthy and prevent your body from being more vulnerable to injury. Drinking plenty of water before and after playing tennis will help your body maintain it’s temperature and recoup from the physical strain. Getting plenty of rest is also a key ingredient to muscle recuperation and physique. Eating healthy and taking in nutrients to keep the body fit and strong is also a must for any tennis athlete. It is important to prevent injury to the body before competition, and also to maintain a healthy regiment after competition. If your body is feeling like a winner, you are more likely to play like a champ!
Source: http://www.juniortennis.com/
