How to prevent injuries.

This week I’m getting a little help from our own Christine, and Daniel from Footballmentor, to give you our top 3 tips for preventing injuries. So if you’re tired of suffering from the same ankle or groin injury again and again, keep reading as I talk you through how to prevent them from happening in the future!

Tip 1 - Y balance stability

Take off your shoes and balance on your left leg. Slightly bend your left knee and push your right foot straight out in front of you, and hold that position for a few seconds. Then do the same thing another two times in different directions to complete the exercise - if someone was floating above you, they should see you stretch your right leg out in a ‘Y’ shape. Then repeat this exercise whilst standing on your right leg.

Tip 2 - Nordic hamstring curls

Get on your knees with them a little less than shoulder width apart. Ask a friend to put pressure on your lower legs so they stay on the ground. Then, bend at the knee slowly until you are lying on your stomach. You can then use your hands to return to the starting position and repeat.

Tip 3 - Copenhagen plank

Grab a chair or bench and lie down on your left side. Place your right foot on the chair and stretch out so that you are not bending your knees or hips. Place your left elbow underneath your shoulder to support your upper body, and then lift your entire body so that only your elbow is touching the ground. Hold the position for 30 seconds if possible. Again, repeat this exercise on the opposite side.

These are by far the most common injuries in football. Your ankles and muscles take a lot of punishment when you’re playing football, so do yourself a favour and strengthen them! You’ll be surprised at the results after dedicating just 15 minutes a week to these exercises!

So that was our 3 tips on how to prevent common injuries. I hope you enjoyed reading, and it helps you to prevent some of the most annoying things in football.

Below you will see the video that I talked about featuring Daniel from Footballmentor and Christine from Unisport. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for more ‘How-To’ blogs in the coming weeks for more awesome #Unisportlife content.