Talking Footy

With the football season just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about ways to prevent and manage injuries.

In my time working at various amateur football clubs such as De La Salle and Boronia Football Clubs, I saw a lot of injuries, which were often attributed to poor stretching protocols and as a result led to poor mobility.

The importance of a good warm-up prior to training and games is generally well done, however cool down stretching is just as important.

To keep the message brief, think about what’s happening to your muscles over the course of the exercise bout…..they’re getting tired! And what happens when they start to fatigue, well, they start to tighten up or contract. If we allow muscles to stay contracted, we potentially open ourselves up to a range of different issues; cramp, increased joint compression and a higher risk of straining muscle/s.

So when you’ve finished your training session or game, and you’re recalling that amazing ‘speccy’ or Eddie Betts like goal with your team-mates, do so with a bottle of water in your hand (for best hydration) and whilst performing some quality stretches.