Sports Injury Prevention: Add this exercise to your lower body repertoire
Football season is in the air and with the start of any sports season, we hear news about injuries. Unfortunately, hamstring strains and ACL tears have become synonymous with football related injuries. In fact, hamstring strain and anterior cruciate ligament injuries are, respectively, the most prevalent and serious non-contact occurring injuries in team sports.
A systematic review by Monajati and friends looked into the effectiveness of injury prevention protocols to modify biomechanical and neuromuscular anterior cruciate and/or hamstring injuries associated risk factors in uninjured team sport athletes. The results of this paper showed eccentric hamstring exercises can significantly reduce injury to both the hamstring and the ACL. Other interventions that are helpful include plyometrics, stability and balance exercises, and neuromuscular re-education type exercises.
Try adding the Nordic Hamstring Curl to your lower body repertoire.
The Nordic Hamstring Curl is a great eccentric hamstring exercise that may prevent injuries to the hamstring and the knee.