If you’re starting a sport in the fall, preparing your body for the season ahead is critical to keeping you strong and healthy.
Like many athletes during the summer months, you aren’t as physically active as you are when competing, which can make the return to fall sports more difficult. The old adage “If you don’t use it, you lose it” definitely rings true when it comes to muscle strength and endurance.
During the off-season, you may be free of games and competition. But it isn’t all leisure and vacation. After the end of each season, you’ll likely be involved in off-season training to stay in shape. This is important because if you go from no activity at all in the summer back to the normal routine during the fall, you can increase your risk of developing injuries.
But is training enough to get you ready for the upcoming season? Beyond staying active, you need a fall sports preparation routine that focuses on your readiness to get back out there and compete.
Starting a new season requires lots of dedication and practice. Making sure you’re prepared for your sport can make all the difference in your athletic output and prevent potential injuries. Our team at AmeriCare Physical Therapy would like to share important tips to help you prepare for your athletic season this fall.
A pre-sports evaluation assesses the physical and mental health of athletes before they engage in training and/or sports.
A pre-fall sports evaluation is pretty much the same thing, except it ensures athletes are ready in terms of safety and health to take on a new season in the fall.
The team at AmeriCare Physical Therapy offers a broad range of therapies to help you protect your body from injury, both during off-season training and the fall sports season.
At AmeriCare, cupping therapy is integral to our rehabilitation and performance enhancement care. Cupping therapy involves putting special cups on your skin for a few minutes to create a vacuum, with the aim to release tension and increase blood flow in muscles and fascia.
This enhanced blood flow helps to remove toxins that may lead to muscle cramps and dysfunction.
Other benefits of cupping therapy include:
Another offering by AmeriCare Physical Therapy to help you prepare for the fall sports season is Kinesio taping.
This is a therapeutic taping technique that involves wrapping the muscles and surrounding tissues with kinesiology tape. This tape adheres to the skin, providing pressure and support to facilitate strength in the muscles and tissues. The result is the relief of pain and lymphatic drainage.
Lymphatic drainage allows the blood and other bodily fluids to move freely through and around the injured muscle, helping to cleanse and heal the inflammation caused by injury.
But the benefits of Kinesio taping go beyond promoting the healing process after an injury. The technique also keeps muscles and bones in a certain position to prevent sprains, breaks, or other injuries that can occur from training and competitive sports.
Kinesio tape is such a popular technique because it provides support, but doesn’t restrict range of motion, allowing you to maintain flexibility and comfort while exercising or competing.
Stretching Session
As an athlete, you’re likely no stranger to pain, whether you’ve been injured before or have experienced muscle soreness due to overuse. This pain can cause a loss of range of motion. At AmeriCare Physical Therapy, we offer stretching sessions to restore range of motion.
A regular stretching routine can also help prevent injuries. Whether you stretch after each training session or come to us for a stretching session, your muscles deserve a little TLC from working so hard. Stretching can help reduce the risk of injury during off-season training and the fall sports season by increasing flexibility.
At AmeriCare Physical Therapy, our team of physical therapists has been dedicated to serving you with the goal to maximize your body’s potential.
Whether you need help preparing for fall sports, or are dealing with another challenge altogether, we’re here to listen to your needs and develop a therapy plan just for you.
Contact us to learn more about our services or book an appointment today.
