ACL injuries are, unfortunately, becoming more common. While female athletes may be more susceptible to a tear than their male counterparts, it’s important to note that such an injury can happen to anyone, and high school athletes may be just as at risk as adults.
Given the seriousness of an ACL injury, it’s important to implement a program that can reduce the chances of such an incident. While it’s never going to be possible to completely eliminate risks, there are certain ways to limit your exposure to harm. A new report out of Philadelphia offers some important insights on putting together a fitness regimen that can help you in this regard.
Before engaging in any type of intense physical activity, either team-based or on an individual level, one can benefit from undergoing an evaluation by a physical trainer or a coach well-versed in injury prevention. There may be actions that you don’t even realize you’re taking part in that leave you susceptible to an ACL tear. Oftentimes, these are easily identifiable to a qualified person. He or she can then teach you the proper way to adjust your form so that the likelihood of a tear is dramatically reduced.
For instance, one thing experts have become increasingly aware of is the impact that landing improperly can have on your ACL. Recent research has revealed that this may indeed be one of the chief reasons that females may be more inclined to suffer a tear than their male counterparts. There are some people from both sexes who have a tendency to come down with knock-knees, though for women, this is more common. When this happens, stability is compromised and more stress is placed upon joints and tendons.
The same goes for moments of deceleration. If you attempt to put the brakes on too quickly when you’re running at full speed, the impact of the ground actually works against your ACL. The sudden slowdown creates excessive strain that can lead to a tear of the ligament. Instead, you should ride out the momentum you’ve accumulated, letting yourself come to a stop naturally.
The way you warm up can also play a critical role in ACL health. Such a warmup should place an emphasis on mobility in your hips and ankles. Foam rolling can get your body in a healthy state for working out, as can running with the intensity gradually ratcheted up.
Finally, don’t give up on strength training entirely. Building up even a little bit of strength in your legs can set you up for longterm health and help you keep a future ACL injury at bay.
For more information, including detailed rundowns of activities that can improve ACL health, follow the link up above.
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