"Move Better" Series: Exercises To Improve Leg Strength And Power

Yesterday’s “Move Better” post presented the Triple Hop Test, which is a common rehabilitation test to examine someone’s lower extremity strength, power, and postural stability.  The Triple Hop test is often used to determine an individual's readiness to return to sport after an injury.  It is often performed in the later stages of rehab following a knee injury or surgery to help assess lower extremity joint stability, coordination, and ability to accelerate and decelerate on one leg.  

The Triple Hop Test can help assess lower extremity power, which is the ability to generate a high amount of force quickly.  Involvement in sports that require jumping, sprinting and cutting all require lower extremity power in addition to strength and coordination.  Having powerful lower extremities allows a person to control and change their momentum quickly when they make contact with the ground.  Someone’s quickness and explosiveness is often a good indication of the power of their lower extremities.

To improve power in the lower extremities, it is important to perform movements quickly but safely.  Common exercises to improve lower extremity power include sprinting circuits, box jumps, barbell lifts, such as barbell squats and power cleans, kettlebell swings/kettlebell workouts, and plyometric programs.  Because power workouts focus on generating muscle force quickly it is important that good form is used at all times during these faster movements to decrease the risk of injury.   

Some simple exercises that can be performed to improve lower extremity power with minimal equipment are provided in the video below:

Exercises to improve your lower extremity power can help improve your jumping, quickness, and explosiveness for sport and daily activities.  Whether you are involved in sporting or recreational activities, incorporating power exercises into your routine may be worth considering.

Questions?  Contact sean@salmonbaypt.com.

-Brian Collins, DPT & Sean Tyler, DPT

"Move Better" Series: Exercises To Improve Your Ability To Squat

Yesterday’s “Move Better” post presented the Overhead Squat Test as a way to test your overhead squatting form and self-assess the mobility of the joints involved in this movement.  Today’s post will discuss ways to improve your mobility in the different areas of the body involved in squatting and overhead squatting.  Specifically, we will discuss mobility exercises for the ankles, hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders. 

Ankle Dorsiflexion Mobility

Dorsiflexion is a motion that occurs at the ankle and involves the movement of the top part of the foot toward the tibia (shin) bone and is an important movement when performing a deep squat.  During a squat, ankle dorsiflexion limitations may present in several ways.  Common signs of poor ankle dorsiflexion that may occur during a squat include excessive turnout of the feet, the knees moving too far inward (knee valgus), or losing contact with your heels on the ground.

To learn how to improve your ankle dorsiflexion mobility, CLICK HERE.

Hip Flexion Mobility

A deep squat requires adequate hip flexion mobility, which occurs when the femur (thigh bone) flexes upward toward your trunk.  Impairments in hip flexion mobility for squatting may present as difficulty getting the femurs below horizontal during the squat.  Hip flexion mobility may be limited by tightness in musculature around the hip joint or restrictions in the hip joint itself.   

If a lack of hip flexion mobility is preventing you from getting into a deep squat the exercises in the video below may be helpful to improve your squat form:

Thoracic Extension and Shoulder Mobility

Thoracic extension mobility is important to allow full overhead shoulder range of motion during an overhead squat.  Sufficient muscle length in the latissimus dorsi and pec muscle groups are also important for optimal overhead squatting form.  Signs of poor thoracic and shoulder mobility during an overhead squat include excessive extension (backward bending) of the lumbar spine and an inability to maintain the bar/dowel above your head and over your feet.

To learn how to improve your thoracic extension mobility, CLICK HERE.

To improve the flexibility of your latissimus dorsi and pec muscle groups, try the exercises in the video below:

Questions?  Contact sean@salmonbaypt.com 

Stay tuned for more “Move Better” content!

-Brian Collins, DPT & Sean Tyler, DPT

Flexibility 101: Static vs. Dynamic Stretching

Have you ever wondered when you should be stretching with respect to your running program? More specifically, have you ever wondered what type of stretching you should be doing? While the research on stretching is a bit of a mixed bag, there are some tried-and-true principles to follow in book-ending your training runs, no matter your experience level within the sport.

Prior to running, we want to avoid static stretching, focusing rather on dynamic movements/stretches to warm up and prepare our muscles for the rigors of running. Static stretching has been shown to temporarily reduce the power output of our muscles, something we do not want to do prior to a run, as a reduced power output may make us slower. In contrast, a dynamic warm-up activates key muscle groups utilized during the running cycle in order to prepare those very muscles for sustained work. It is important that the dynamic warm-up closely mirror the physical demands of running in order to prepare the most appropriate muscles and tissues. In other words, performing walking lunges and skipping motions would be more appropriate than hitting a heavy bag. Finally, the dynamic warm-up should be simple and concise, requiring no greater than 5-10 minutes to complete. If longer or more complex, it is more likely you will skip it! Here is a sample dynamic warm-up routine:

Dynamic Running Warm-Up

Following your run, it is safe and appropriate to perform a static stretching routine, targeting the muscles and joints you stressed during your training run. Static stretching should be gentle and prolonged, holding each position for approximately 60 seconds. More aggressive stretching is not more effective, as it can more easily activate the stretch receptors in our muscles and tendons, limiting the ability for the muscles to relax and let go. Aggressive stretching also increases our risk of over-stretching and subsequently injuring our soft tissues. So keep it light! Key muscle groups to stretch following a run are the calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, and gluteals, all of which are primary movers during the running cycle. Here is a sample static stretching routine:

Static Stretching Cool-Down

Both routines should be easy and pain free. If you are experiencing discomfort with any of the positions, stop and move on. If possible, consult with a physical therapist or other medical professional if you have any questions or concerns regarding your specific stretching routine.

RUN ON!

-Grant Hennington, DPT