J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions 2020 Program

THREE STEPS TO TAKE
TO PREVENT INJURY IN SQUASH
Squash is an exhilarating and demanding
sport. Though fun to play, the sport’s
intensity can be taxing on the body. As
Physical Therapists, we hope to enable you
to perform at your highest potential, and
help keep you injury-free. One of the most
important ways to prevent injury is to make
sure you are taking care of your body and
allowing yourself to adapt to the amount of
playing you are doing.
Here are three tips to help keep your body injury-free and
get the most out of your squash playing:
1. Warm Up Dynamically Before You Hit the Court!
Most of us don’t like to warm up before we play. However, research has
shown that a dynamic warm-up is most effective in improving quadriceps
strength, hamstring flexibility, and even vertical jumping ability. What is a
dynamic warm-up? It is a series of sport-specific movements that prepare
the muscles for performance. Some examples of exercises you can do
include Frankensteins, lunges with a twist, heel walking, and toe walking.
2. Stretch After You Play!Stretching is important.
It increases muscle flexibility and range of motion, signals your body to
relax, and just feels great! When you don’t stretch, your muscles can
tighten up, stress your joints and change the way you move. Now, you
shouldn’t stretch right before you play, but you should stretch daily!
Most of us know some easy hamstring and quadriceps stretches to do,
but incorporating a few other stretches can also be helpful in keeping
you loose. Try out a hip flexor stretch, pigeon stretch, and a Figure Four
piriformis stretch after your next session on the court.
3. Cross Train!
It is always important to vary the type of exercise you do. Any single type
of exercise will overuse some muscles, and underuse others. To ensure that
those differences don’t lead to injury, it’s a good idea to supplement your
main type of exercise. That could mean anything from playing basketball, to
practicing Pilates or yoga, to weightlifting. Performing single leg exercises
can help to increase the strength and stability of your legs to help prevent
injury. Try out a Bulgarian split squat, single leg Romanian deadlift, reverse
lunge to single leg hop, or skater jumps the next time you train to help
supplement your squash playing.
Try implementing these pointers in your squash playing routine for optimal
performance and injury prevention!
OKLYN