Chelsea cannot afford any injuries at the World Cup - Could ruin our challenge next season.
As the Chelsea players prepare for the World Cup (those who are involved) it's important that each of them look after themselves b...
https://www.chelseadaft.org/2018/06/chelsea-cannot-afford-any-injuries-at.html
As the Chelsea players prepare for the World Cup (those who are involved) it's important that each of them look after themselves because if Chelsea are going to pick themselves up and challenge for the top four and posssibly Manchester City next season, we cannot afford for anyone to get injured in Russia.
The last thing you want to worry
about when enjoying football is an injury. An injury can keep a player off the
pitch for a match or longer. It's crucial for players to know how to prevent
injuries and keep the field as safe as possible.
We've looked at some of the most
common injuries encountered by football players, and provided tips on how to
protect against them. With this, you'll spend less time tending to a sore
ankle, and more time getting better and better at your game of choice!
Sprained ankle
You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone
who hasn't sprained their ankle at some point, even off the pitch! According to
the CSP (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy), approximately 70-85% of these
injuries are ‘inversion’ sprains, which means the ankle has been turned inwards
— common when tackling and dribbling the ball. If you’re looking to reduce the
risk of a sprained ankle, try and do these exercises three times a week:
· Calf raises.
· Ankle circles
(both clockwise and anti-clockwise).
· Shin raises (lifting
your toes, rather than your heels, off the ground).
Damaged anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
provides your knee with stability. However, it’s often damaged by the twisting
and turning of the leg, which means it’s a common injury for football players.
If you hurt your ACL, it’ll be painful and you’ll likely see swelling around
the area. But before then, you may hear and feel it pop or snap…
Protect against injury by developing
your leg strength. According to HSS, Hospital for Special Surgery, you should
do plenty of leg stretches like squats and walking lunges. Having good balance
— or proprioception
— is vital if you want to avoid injuring your ACL too, so practice standing
on one leg (30 seconds on each) regularly to boost your stability. These
exercises also help prevent injuries to your menisci, which are cartilages that
protect the knee joint.
Strained groin
Sometimes, you can over-stretch the
groin muscles when tackling or reaching in football. If you strain your groin,
you’ve basically over-extended your abductor muscles, found in your inner
thigh. A slight strain will often cause some pain, however, serious groin
strain injuries can impede on your ability to walk and run, which is a serious
flaw for a football player.
Remember to incorporate hip and thigh
stretches during your warm-up to reduce the chance of a groin strain. Make sure
you stretch your inner and outer thigh muscles daily and see if you can also
get regular sports therapy or massage treatments to keep these muscles
flexible. A strong core enhances pelvic stability, which will also reduce the
chance of groin strains, so do plenty of planks and crunches as part of your
basic workout routine. Resistance bands are also very handy for strengthening
your inner thigh muscles and preventing groin strain.
Torn hamstring
Football players are no strangers to
the pain of a pulled hamstring behind their thigh. Sometimes your hamstring muscles can
overstretch, resulting in pain at the back of the leg, as well as potentially
bruising and swelling. If you tear your hamstring, you could be out of action
for a while, however, if you simply pull your hamstring, you should be fine to
continue.
Watch out for any pain or signs of
bruising to your hamstring, as this is likely caused by an injury. Reportedly,
people with existing back issues are more susceptible to strained hamstrings,
so to avoid this injury, loosen your back with exercises such as lumbar
rotation stretches (lying on the floor and rolling your knees from side to
side). Basic glute stretches will ease muscles around your hips, while yoga
will help you stay flexible, which will lower the risk of hamstring strain.
Squats, lunges and hamstring kicks are also great preventative exercises, as
they work to strengthen the hamstring muscles.
Try out the Nordic ham curl to prep
your hamstring before a game:
· Kneel on the
floor.
· Hook your
feet under something sturdy and heavy that can take your weight or ask a
partner to hold your feet to act as an anchor.
· Breathe
deeply, engage your core and slowly lower yourself to the ground, using your
hamstrings to keep your body straight.
· After
reaching the ground, push yourself up and repeat.
Best
practice off the pitch
Rigorous activity without a proper
warm-up increases the likelihood of injury. According to a scientific
study, taking part in a structured warm-up is effective at
stopping players from suffering common football injuries and can reportedly
even lower these by approximately 33%.
A warm-up gets the blood pumping and
gently alerts your muscles for activity to come. Here’s a top warm-up session
to help you prepare your tendons, ligaments and muscles for a good performance:
5
minutes: jogging and side-stepping to boost your core temperature.
15
minutes: stretching, focusing on your quads, glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs,
lower back, calves, Achilles tendon, and hip flexors. You should hold your
stretch for ten seconds every time.
10 minutes: mimicking football
movements without a ball including high kicks, squats, jumps, and side-foot
passes.
10 minutes: practicing shooting,
heading, passing, and dribbling as a team with a football.
You can also prepare for the pitch through your
dietary choices. Eat plenty of protein and carbohydrates — including eggs,
whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, turkey and salmon — to build muscle and deliver
energy. Also, lower your alcohol intake — it dehydrates you and leaves your
muscles more susceptible to cramping and injury.
Nutritional supplements could also aid in the
prevention of injury through exercise. For example, vitamin D and vitamin D3 can
help strengthen your bones and muscles, according to some scientific studies, while omega 7 may offer cardiovascular
benefits and vitamin C could alleviate muscle soreness.
Remember, the best treatment for injury is prevention!
Keep these tips in mind and keep yourself in the game.
Sources:
http://www.coachmag.co.uk/sport/6832/how-to-prevent-and-treat-the-five-most-common-football-injuries
