You know, if I hadn’t injured myself last year, I might not be so convinced of the importance of injury prevention. I now believe whether you’re a student or an adult athlete, or someone who’s simply on the road to fitness, injury prevention should be one of your main goals. It’s definitely a by-product of a effective program for a healthy lifestyle.
“Go to a boys’ basketball game and listen. You’ll hear the floor squeaking. You won’t hear that sound at a girls’ game. That’s because boys will be playing and landing with bent knees,” says Dr. Patrick Hurlbut, Lincoln Orthopedic Surgeon.
Dr. Hurlbut
That difference, Dr. Hurlbut believes, is the most practical reason girls are four to six times more likely than boys to suffer ACL tears. Doctors have proposed a number of other explanations such as hormonal influence, a wider pelvis which might influence the stability of the knee, and a slower neuromuscular reaction time. Dr. Hurlbut thinks it’s the way girls play sports. “It’s natural for boys to play sports with bent knees,” he says, “but girls are more likely to come to a stop with straight leg and not as likely to land with soft knees when they jump.”
As long ago as 1999, Dr. Hurlbut read an article in a medical journal advocating plyometric training for young female athletes to prevent ACL trauma. The article stoked his interest in injury prevention, an interest that remained. Now that his own two active daughters are reaching the peak age for ACL injuries (15-16), Dr. Hurlbut was personally interested in finding someone who shared his passion and interest in a type of training designed to lessen the epidemic.
Hurlbut says, “Sports acceleration programs for student atheletes have become increasingly popular, but I’ve seen a lot of damage from these programs that just push kids until they puke. I treated one girl who suffered chronic knee pain from just three months of training. There is no evidence that strength training prevents ACL injuries, but with training that emphasizes bent knees including plyometrics, injuries can be reduced by as much as 69%.”
When Dr. Hurlbut called me about his idea to offer an injury prevention clinic for girls I was immediately onboard. Since my knee injury, I have a healthy respect for knees, and I’ve learned a lot from my own rehabilitation and physical therapy. More and more I’ve come to believe in a multi-faceted approach to training emphasizing exercises that employ plyometrics, balance training, and core conditioning. I’m thankful for Dr. Hurlbut’s encouragement to offer the sports injury prevention clinic. The girls and I are having a good time while working hard to protect those knees!
I am excited to offer Jungle Boot Camp at Good Life Fitness for ages 5-11! For more sports specific training you can contact me with my email on this site!
To Look And Perform Your Best You Must Train With The Best At Good Life Fitness!!
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