Athletes…

…”Happy Prospectors…”

…Innocent Bystanders and girls named “Katie.”

Although I have to be the “tough girl” I publicly publish that I didn’t cry when I tore my ACL, I know that every injury is different. In all my years of playing sports, soccer, Ultimate and volleyball especially, I have seen many people fall to the ground screaming out in excruciating pain.

I hate saying this now, but I always thought that people who torn their ACLs were kinda weak. Not the case at all! I can tell you that it’s not the level of activity you are competing at that determines a tear, it’s the small details (second-nature motions) that can go slightly wrong–a bad hop, an awkward fall or a quick twist in the wrong direction.

Be careful out there!

A great list of knee excercises & stretches that will help prevent tears.

The University of Rochester Medical Center offers an ACL Injury Prevention Program which features these sample excercises:

• Warm-ups: Jog, slides, backpedals
• Strengthening: Lunge walk, ball bridge, calf raise
• Plyometrics: Lateral, front/back & single leg hops, rebound jumps, scissor jumps
• Agility:Shuttle and pivot runs
• Stretching Hamstrings, quads, calves, groin and hip flexors