Among all kinds of athletes, both professional and recreational, tendinopathy (also known as tendinitis) is one of the most common injuries.

About one-third of runners suffer from Achilles tendinopathy, as will approximately 14 percent of volleyball players. Soccer players are also susceptible to tendinopathy, and athletes who frequently participate in overhead maneuvers (serving, pitching, etc.) are four times more likely to deal with tendinopathy compared to other athletes. Kobe Bryant famously tore his Achilles tendon in 2013 in a game against the Golden State Warriors, sidelining his season for nearly 8 months.

If you play one of these sports, or are an active person in general, it’s important to understand what can be done to prevent and treat tendinopathy. Read on to learn more about this condition and the steps you can take to keep it at bay while you continue to play your favorite sports.

What is Tendinopathy?

Tendons are tissues that connect the muscles to the bones. They bear the weight of muscles and allow the joints of the body to move freely.

Tendinopathy occurs when the tendon becomes inflamed. Repetitive motions — swinging a tennis racquet or golf club, for example — often cause tendinopathy in athletes.

The most common sites of tendinopathy include the shoulders, biceps, and elbows (tendinopathy of the elbow is often referred to as tennis elbow). Read the rest of this entry →

As any sportsman knows, if you have a team that is not happy eating, sleeping and playing together, then you are less than likely to have a successful season on the track or field. No matter if you are playing in a small-time league, or are trying your luck professionally, if your team does not get on, or has found it hard to bond, then you will no longer be able to bring the trophies home. So, if you are looking to help your team improve, and bring home the gold, then you need to consider taking part in team building activities, different ways that you can train and even alter your overall mindset if you want to succeed.

Team building activities

If your teammates all enjoy each others’ company and have fun together even while they are enjoying time away from the field, then your team is much more likely to have a successful season. Consider booking your team in for a team building activities, so that they can learn to work together on each other’s weaknesses and develop their strengths. From a cookery course to trying a new outdoors activity, the choice is endless when it comes to choosing a team building activity for you all to enjoy. Consider Des Moines Escape Room if you want your teammates to work on their logic and puzzle solving skills against the clock. Team building activities should be your go-to first step to help improve your team’s performance. Read the rest of this entry →

In school days or college days, children always take great interest in sports, even they prove themselves good sports persons but most of times they fails to fulfill their desire of  becoming successful athletes. The reasons are various behind this. Sometimes parent do not allow their kids to go in the sports field some time they do not have sufficient money to fund the institutions or sports college to provide their children with the best training they require to make a mark in the sports world.  If you belong to the second problem that has become the hindrance of the way of your child’s career then you can take help of lending companies. Many sports lending companies are there which can provide you financial help. Read the rest of this entry →

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus probably first said that “the only constant in the universe is change.” This phrase definitely applies to sports injuries, at least to some extent.

Some people still remember the 1992 NBA All-Star game which featured the return of Magic Johnson. A few months earlier, he had retired after announcing he was HIV positive. Several other players, including Karl Malone, openly expressed misgivings about Johnson’s return and their own risk of contracting AIDS. We now know these fears were foolish, but they were very real at the time.

Fortunately, deadly sexually-transmitted diseases like AIDS are not a problem on most sports teams. But sports injuries are a constant concern. In some cases, the treatment approach has changed significantly in recent years; in other cases, not so much.

Football and Concussions

Head injuries have been an issue in football ever since William Harvey laced up the cleats for Penn in 1894. “In a scrimmage behind the goal I was knocked insensible, but recovered in about fifteen minutes,” he later wrote. For the next hundred years, every player who received a head injury in football got basically the same treatment: a few plays off, some smelling salts, and a cursory “how many fingers am I holding up” medical exam.

Things began to change in 1994 when then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue ordered league doctors and other scientists to examine the problem more closely. Today, no one is really sure how the NFL and other football leagues should handle head injuries. Players want to play, coaches want to win, and fans want to see lots of action, but a player’s long-term health is at stake. There’s a balance there somewhere.

New innovations should help improve treatment protocols. For example, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved a concussion diagnosis blood test. Very soon, this test could eliminate the guesswork involved in this area. Read the rest of this entry →

For any baseball player, there are two important aspects which one should not ignore are body explosive power and body strength. The shoulder integrity is vital for baseball batters and pitchers. Therefore, baseball workout includes building muscles, adding arm strength and gaining speed. In case, if audience finds out that the pitcher is adding speed to the fastball, then they consider that the player is doing only upper body workouts. Whereas, building strength in arms needs more than just upper body workouts.

The most important aspect is mobility as well as stability in shoulders along with hips. Pitching is transferring the power from your legs to your upper body part of your arms. Therefore, to reduce the chances of injuries, one has to work hard not only on shoulders, arms and back but also on hamstrings, legs and hips.

Speed of pitching is directly proportional to arm speed not on the isolated muscle’s strength. It means focusing on pillar strength will increase the rotational power. Thus, the focus is on doing stability exercises of shoulder, strength work of lower body and propulsive exercises.

Exercises 1: Stride Stretch

This one will help the baseball athletes in giving more mobility and flexibility during playing baseball in their shoulders and rotator cuffs. In simpler terms, it is stretching of front as well as back of your hips. Never ignore the importance of mobility in hip as the mobility in hip is equally important to mobility in shoulders for pitchers. In the absence of proper mobility, then the pitchers will do only those actions which their body will allow them to move. It will decrease their leg drive, ultimately reducing the power and strength. Read the rest of this entry →

While most people adopt a fitness routine to help shed fat and build lean muscle, the benefits extend well beyond the physical. Cognitive processes may be ephemeral, but the brain is ultimately physical and therefore stands to benefit from a healthy body built through playing sports. The next time you’re working out, keep these mental benefits in mind as further motivation for staying fit.

Improved Mood

If you suffer from chronic stress or depression, participating in sports is a natural way to help combat these negative emotions. Team sports are particularly effective, since their group nature can help you to build the camaraderie and support network needed for a healthy mind. The mere act of physical movement itself is also a powerful mood booster. Exercise relieves the muscle tension, poor posture, and other physical symptoms of stress, while also releasing endorphins, a mood-improving hormone vital for healthy brain function. Read the rest of this entry →