Sports Injury & Physiotherapy

Golf stretches exercise #1: From standing position.
Step 1) Grab the top of one ankle with one hand to pull foot towards buttock until you feel a gentle stretch on front of the thigh.
Step 2) Hold the stretch keeping lower back neutral and return to initial position.

Golf stretches exercise #2: Step 1) Stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms out to your sides.
Step 2) Begin to rotate your arms and trunk back and forth. Keep your arms elevated and allow your whole body to rotate.

Golf Stretch exercise #3: Step 1) Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
Step 2) Hold a golf club overhead as high as possible with your hands slightly larger than shoulder width apart.
Step 3) Stretch your trunk to one side. The stretch should be felt on the opposite side.

Golf Stretch Exercise #4: Windmill exercise
Step 1) Start in a wide-legged founder position: legs slightly bent, hips pushed back and weight on your heels.
Step 2) Fold forward with your back flat and bring one arm down to the ground below your chest. Rotate your opposite arm as high as you can to create a twist. Step 3) Keep your pelvis locked in place and squared. Keep your weight on your heels with the knees slightly bent.

Golf Stretch Exercise #5: Hamstring Stretch
Step 1) Stand with your legs together with the club in front of you.
Step 2) Using the club for support, bring one leg in front with your knee straight and push your hips back to stretch the hamstrings of the front leg. Hold the position when you feel a comfortable stretch.

Running warm-up exercise #1 – Shins: Stand and lean against a tree, fence or building. On the rear leg, point the tow down to the ground and then bend the back knee. You can remain straight so allow the heel to drop inwards and outwards to feel a stretch throughout different parts of the shin. Hold for 3 seconds at a time and complete each position 10 times.

Running warm-up exercise #2 – Hip opener Stand on one leg and lift the other leg by brining your knee towards your chest. Then, rotate the moving leg out to the side and then back to the middle.

Running Warm-Up exercise #3– Dynamic Quad stretch – Run forward and kick the heels to the butt. Try to move the opposite arm at the same time of the leg that goes back. Keep the torso upright and stand tall as you do the movement.

Running Warm-Up exercise #4– Stretching ITB: Stand and cross one leg in front of the other. Bend forward as far as possible without bending the knees. Slightly turn your body towards the side of the front leg until you feel a stretch on the exterior side of the back leg. Hold the stretch and slowly return to initial position.

Running Warm-Up exercise #5: Hamstring stretch: Lift one leg to the outstretched opposite hand while maintaining an upright posture. As you warm up, increase the speed and height of the kick, progressing up onto the toes of your standing leg. Alternate the legs.

Spring is near & cycling is here!
Finally time to break out the bike and engage in your favourite outdoor exercise. To ensure an injury free ride, we will be posting dynamic stretch ideas throughout this week.

Cycling Warm-Up Exercise #1
Scorpions: Start prone with arms outstretched to the sides and legs straight. Squeeze the glutes and bring the toes of one leg to the opposite side, toward the hand. Keep the shoulders down.

Cycling Warm-Up Exercise #2 Lateral Lunges:
Take one step sideways and drop into a lateral lunge. Keep your foot in the same place as you change sides. Keep the heel on the ground by pushing the hips back and balancing yourself with the hands. Keep the chest up and toes pointing forward or slightly outward. The knee should be constantly aligned with the foot. (Do not round the back or shoulders.)

Cycling Warm-Up Exercise #3 Lunge steps:
Start standing straight. Take a step forward and lower into a lunge with your knee over your front foot. Avoid rolling into an anterior pelvic tilt to compensate the movement—which will result in hyperextension in the lumbar spine.

Cycling Warm-Up Exercise #4:
Lateral Leg swings Either stand in front of a wall for balance or do it free standing. Swing your leg with a side to side motion starting from the hips. (Do not round the upper back.)

Tennis Warm-Up Exercise 1:
Horizontal arm circles Stand up with your arms parallel to the floor and on each side. Make circles with your arms, keeping the elbows straight.

Tennis Warm up Exercise 2:
Twisting lunge With your feet at hip width and hands on your stomach, take a big step forward so that both knees are about 90 degrees. With the upper body vertical, rotate to the same side of your front leg. Come back to the center and to the starting position.

Tennis Warm-Up Exercise 3:
Squat & Trunk Rotation: Squat down as you raise your hands in front. In the bottom position, rotate your trunk to one side, come back to the center and rotate to the other side. Stand again and repeat. Keep your back straight as you execute the movement.

Tennis Warm-Up Exercise 4:
Mummy Walk: Stand upright and extend both arms straight in front of you. Lift your leg straight toward the hands as you take a step.

Swimming Warm-Up Exercise 1:
Figure 8: Stand up and lift the arm in front of you as you draw an 8 with your hand by raising and lowering your arm. Keep your elbow straight. The motion should come from your shoulder.

Swimming Warm-Up Exercise 2:
Strengthening Gluteus med.: Place yourself in a four point position with hands directly under the shoulders and the knees under the hips. Slowly lift one knee to the side to 90 degrees, keeping chin-in, shoulders back and pelvis stable. Lower the knee and repeat.

Hiking Warm-Up Exercise 1:
Ankle Circles: While standing, lift one foot off the ground so only the toes touch the floor and rotate the ankle in both directions. Repeat with the other foot.

Hiking Warm-up Exercise 2:
Shoulder circles Stand and roll shoulders backwards thinking about bringing shoulder blades together. Stand and roll shoulders forwards.

Hiking Warm-up Exercise 3:
Marching on the Spot Stand up with your feet about hip width. March on the spot, lifting your knees high. Keep the body straight/upright as you do the exercise.

Hiking Warm-up Exercise 4:
Lunges with rotation Start by standing straight. Take a step forward and lower into a lunge with your knee over your front foot. Then, turn your torso and upper body in both directions. Avoid compensating by rolling into an anterior pelvic tilt which will result in hyperextension in the lumbar spine.

The following set of posts will include various “Dynamic Stretches” that can be used as a warmup prior to participating in sports with unpredictable environments – Hockey, Soccer or Basketball.

Warm-Up Exercise 1:
Crossover Row/Reach Comfortably stand with one foot in front of the other. If the right leg is forward, then use the left hand to reach the right knee. Keep knees in proper alignment but allowing your trunk to rotate. Then stand up tall and squeeze the left shoulder blade back (simulating a row motion).

Warm-Up Exercise 2:
Supine Scorpion Start laying on back with arms outstretched to the sides and legs straight. With one leg, touch the toes on the ground on the opposite side of your body keeping the leg straight, toward the hand. Keep the shoulders on the floor.

Warm-Up Exercise 3:
Rotational Deep Lunge Adopt a deep lunge position with the rear leg stretched behind. Then, rotate the trunk toward your front leg by moving your free hand up toward the ceiling while looking at your hand. Bring your hand back down on your knee and push outward to open up the hip. Return your forearm on the floor and repeat. Keep your nice lunge position at all times.

4) Warm-up Exercise:
High knee walk Take a step forward and bring one knee up. Raise onto the tip of your toes as you place one hand on your knee. Keep the back straight complete this exercise

5) Warm up exercise:
Glute Kick Walk Walk forward and lift the heels toward the buttocks. Keep the torso upright and stand tall as you do the movement.

6) Dynamic Warm-Up Exercise:
Cradle Walk Take a step forward and flex/rotate one knee up, pulling the instep of the foot up with the hands. Raise on the tip of your toes as you pull. Lower the leg down in front and bring the other knee up. Keep the back straight as you pull the foot and do not lean forward.

7) Dynamic Warm-up:
Walking Spiderman Take an exaggerated lunge step forward and push the hips forward while keeping the chest up to prevent lower back rounding. Bring the hands to the ground. Go as low as your flexibility allows. Stand up completely between repetitions. Keep the upper back rounding to a minimum.

8) Dynamic Warm-up:
Kneel Side Bend Kneel down on one knee with the other foot flat on the ground in front of you. Maintain your length by keeping your spine upright and avoiding to lean forward. Bring both hands behind your head and elbows wide open. Side bend to one side by lowering the bending side elbow towards the floor. Return to the center.

9) Dynamic Warm-up:
Hip Rotation Lie on your back with your arms out in a “T” position, your feet flat on the floor, your knees bent, and your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Anchor the right foot to the floor while letting the left knee roll inward and the weight of the left leg pull to end range. Pause briefly at the bottom. Then return to the starting position and repeat the exercise with the other leg.

10) Dynamic Warm-up:
Child’s pose (Cobra) Start on all fours. Push your buttocks back to your heels with your arms extended forward. Then, transition into a cobra position by moving your hips forward close to the ground, straightening your arms with, and with your chest up and your legs flat on the surface. Alternate between these two positions.

11) Dynamic warm-up exercise:
Calf/Heel Stretch Start in a pike position: with both hands on the floor and one foot over the other. Lift your heel off the floor to achieve great toe extension. Then slowly lower the back to the floor, pressing downward with the opposite foot from behind to stretch the heel cord.

12) Dynamic Warm-Up:
Inch Worms Start in a push-up position. Walk your feet to your hands, keeping your knees straight and your heels on the ground (stop when you feel a stretch in the back of your legs). Then slowly walk your hands away from your feet until the stretch goes away (this can be performed by either walking your hands back toward your feet or walking your feet toward your hands). Make sure to brace the core to keep your spine stable.

13) Dynamic Warm-up:
Yoga Push-up Start in a push-up position hands under the shoulders and push your hips up and back, keeping the knee straight. The goal is to make a continuous line with the arms and the torso. Get back in the push-up position and do a regular push-up.

1) Rock Climbing Warm-up:
Full Grip Make a fist with your fingers and thumb as you squeeze the ball Repeat or hold as directed.

2) Rock Climbing warmup:
Stretching your wrist extensors Place the arms at chest height with elbows bent and hands together. With the back of each hand touching each other, raise the wrists till a stretch is felt on top of the forearm.

3) Rock Climbing warmup:
Stretching your wrist flexors Place the palms on a table with fingers turned towards you and arms straight. Slowly move your body backwards to feel a stretch in the forearms.

1) Kayaking/Canoeing Warm-Up :
Shoulder Circumduction Stand up straight and look directly ahead of you. With your elbows straight, move your arms up, in, out, and down in order to form circles that are as large as possible.

2) Kayaking/Canoeing Warm-Up : Shoulder active stretch First, stand with your knees slightly bent, your elbow bent overhead and holding it with the other hand. Push upward with your elbow against your hand for the recommended time. While in the stretch position, extend the wrist of the stretched arm to solicit the extensors. Then, rapidly rotate your arm in both directions.

3) Kayaking/Canoeing Warm-Up:
Paddle warm up Stand and hold a stick with your hands a bit further than shoulder width apart. With one arm along your body and the other arm straight in front of your chest. Keeping your elbows locked and your body stable, move the stick in a half circle above your head from one side to the other. Return following the reverse movement and repeat on the other side.

4) Kayaking/Canoeing Warm-Up:
Prone Swimming Lie on your stomach with your chin tucked-in and your arms and legs stretched out making your body as long as possible. Activate your lower abdominals (transversus abdomini) by bringing your belly button inward. Maintain a steady abdominal breathing while you lift one arm and opposite leg up towards the ceiling keeping your chin tucked-in. Return and repeat with the other arm and opposite leg.

5) Kayaking/Canoeing Warm-Up:
Thoracic Spine Rotation In a four point position with hands directly under the shoulders and the knees under the hips. Keeping chin-in, back straight and shoulders back, one arm reaches under the other as far as possible rotating and rounding the upper back. Then comes back and reaches back in opposite direction as far as possible. Keep your elbow bent 90 degrees and look at the moving hand at all times. Repeat with other arm if indicated.

1) Hand Kicks:
Start forward, lifting one leg as high as possible, clapping your hands under your knee. Keep a slight bend in your knee as you kick forwards.

2) Fire Hyrdant:
Start on all fours with your back flat. Keeping your knee bent, raise one leg out to the side at a height that allows you to keep your pelvis and shoulders parallel to the floor. Create half circles with the knee that is raise. Start with the heel facing the ceiling and in a circular motion bring the knee into the armpit.

3)Press:
Sit Back Begin in all-fours. Keeping the elbow straight, press into the ground through the shoulders, protracting the shoulder blades and slightly rounding the upper back. Sit back on your heels maintaining this shoulder position.