Athletes always look for that competitive advantage. A spit-second faster, slightly stronger and with better endurance is a huge advantage in competitive athletics. Games and races are often decided by photo finishes and last-second plays. Strength and conditioning clinics are now offered by many physical therapy offices to all athletes, from major league baseball players up to high school football players. These clinics help to reduce injury risk and improve agility, endurance and power. Modern sports medicine includes preventative techniques to help athletes stretch properly and train in order to avoid common sports injury such as sprains or strains.
Conditioning is a great way to prevent injury and improve athletic performance. Nobody can just jump on the court or field and be in mid-season shape. Athletes must work to get their bodies in shape. The majority of this conditioning takes place before the start of a season. The help of physical therapists, strength and conditioning coaches, and other professionals can be invaluable in developing training programs to improve agility, explosiveness and stability, as well as balance. Therapists and coaches are able to help athletes prepare their bodies for athletic activities by designing programs that include core strengthening exercises and plyometrics. This will improve performance and reduce injury.
Studies and tests show that physical therapy can be used to train the body so that it is better prepared for athletics. Trainers and coaches use proprioception to minimize an athlete's response time to a negative situation, which can reduce injuries like ankle sprains or knee sprains. The quicker a footballer reacts to a tackler, the greater his chances are of avoiding being hit. The less hits you receive in a match, the lower your chances of getting hurt.
Physical therapy has shown that athletes can improve their strength, conditioning and reduce injury risk by using multi-directional agility and stretching techniques. You will experience intense physical strain in any sport you participate in. From wrestling to swimming, track and field to boxing, the only way for your body to be prepared is to use sports programs designed to improve endurance and reaction time.