Resistance Band Workout to Help Prevent Sport Injuries

(Photo : Resistance Band Workout to Help Prevent Sport Injuries )

Every athlete shares the same biggest fear throughout their career, and it's not losing the big game or giving a bad performance - it's an injury that will take them out for days, months, or even for good.

90% of student-athletes report suffering from a sports-related injury each year, making odds very high that harm is coming at any moment.

Just like the old sports adage, the best offense is a good defense. What do we mean by that? You can work to prevent injury before it happens by keeping muscles and joints as healthy as possible.

Let us explain why and how you should use resistance band exercises to maintain a strong body and prevent getting taken out of the game too early.

Why exercise with resistance bands?

There are several ways in which resistance band exercises help to build muscle and prevent injury.

1. They help to build your balance. The constant pressure from a resistance band means you use core and surrounding muscle groups to keep the band stable throughout the exercise, which is great for building balance and coordination.

2. You can work muscles through isolation. Traditional weightlifting puts pressure on your joints. By removing this pressure with a resistance band exercise, you strengthen muscles without risking joint injury.

3. The extra challenge helps to build muscle. By adding resistance to a bodyweight exercise, you will create a more muscular body, faster.

4. They're convenient. Why buy sets of expensive weights, when you can get an incredibly effective workout using a few, inexpensive, and lightweight resistance bands?

How do resistance bands help prevent injury?

The primary way that resistance band exercises work to prevent sports injury is that they avoid putting unnecessary pressure on your joints.

The elastic band provides constant tension throughout the movement that gets gradually more difficult in the upper range of motion, unlike traditional weightlifting. This helps develop crucial muscle and joint control in typical injury places, like the ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders.

Healthy joints are more resilient and will be less prone to injury.

Exercises to Help Prevent Injury

We've broken these exercises down into body parts that can be commonly injured. Choose the exercises that are most relevant to your sport, or perform all of them for comprehensive injury prevention.

First, you'll need a few resistance bands. Go here for a set of hip circle bands of varying resistances. Start with the lightest band, and as you become stronger, upgrade to the next band for added resistance.

Shoulders

Banded Shoulder Press

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZsxNhKO5Kk

Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps.

1. Step both of your feet on the loop of a resistance tube, with the band under your foot arches. Grab the free end of the loop in both hands.

2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and lift arms. Palms should face forward, elbows tucked in at the sides of your body with hands in front of shoulders.

3. Lift your arms straight overhead, keeping elbows along your side body until arms are straight overhead.

4. Return to starting position, and repeat.

Banded Upright Row

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhpnXlphu88

Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps.

1. Step the arches of both feet onto the center of a resistance band. Grab an end in each hand.

2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Palms are facing toward your body, with hands in front of hips.

3. Leading with your elbows along your sides, lift your hands along the front of your body until they reach shoulder height.

4. Return to starting position, and repeat.

Knees

Banded Lateral Abduction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=106&v=q5G5_v-06Zk

Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps.

1. Lie on your back on an exercise mat. Wrap the loop of a hip band around both ankles.

2. With feet flexed, slowly extend both legs out to each side, applying even pressure on the band.

3. Return to starting position, and repeat.

Clam Shells with Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=106&v=q5G5_v-06Zk

Perform 3 sets of 15 on the left and right side.

1. Lie down on a workout mat on your left hip, propping yourself up on your left elbow. Place a resistance loop around your thighs.

2. Keep hips stacked on each other, bent at a 90-degree angle.

3. Rotate your top foot and lift your top knee. Keep feet touching each other.

4. Return to starting position and repeat.

Hips

Seated Abduction with Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jpm3r6hvh4

Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps.

1. Sit on an exercise bench. Place a hip band around both legs at thigh level.

2. Place hands on the bench for support, and keep feet hip-width apart on the ground.

3. Push out on the resistance band with both legs, using the thigh muscles to apply pressure. Feet may rotate outward slightly.

4. Return to starting position and repeat.

Monster Walks with Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_GEUdxQETA

Perform 3 sets of 30 steps on each leg.

1. Place a resistance loop around both of your legs at thigh level, and one around your ankles.

2. Bend down into a squat position and keep abs contracted to protect your lower back.

3. Slowly step forward with the left leg, keeping even resistance on the bands throughout the move.

4. Repeat on the left side. Walk forward for 30 steps, and walk backward for 30 steps to return to starting position.

Ankles

Dorsiflexion/Plantarflexion with Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyxqS1g1vdU

Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps with each leg.

1. Tie a resistance band to a support beam in front of you. Wrap the free end of the loop around your foot.

2. Sit on a mat with your left leg straight out in front of you. Tilt your toes back toward your body, applying pressure to the band. Return to starting position and repeat.

3. For plantar flexion, wrap one end of the loop around the bottom of your foot and grab the other end in both hands. Get into the same position on the ground.

4. Flex your toes away from your body, resisting the pressure of the band.

5. Return to starting position and repeat.

Ankle Rotation with Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMpqghpqv-4

Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps with each leg.

1. Step both arches of your feet through a small resistance loop. Stand with feet hip-width apart.

2. Lift your right foot and rotate 45 degrees out to the side.

3. Return to starting position and repeat.

Final Word

By performing these strengthening exercises 2-3 times per week, you can work to strengthen muscles and prevent sports injuries before they happen.

As your muscles begin to strengthen, remember to move up to harder resistance bands to avoid plateauing your strength gains!