How Crucial is Preseason Conditioning?

Preseason conditioning is essential to an athlete’s success because it helps prevent injury and physically prepares an athlete for his or her upcoming season. Athletes who disregard training in the weeks prior to the season put a great deal of strain on their bodies. It is because of this inadequate preseason strength training and conditioning that so many injuries occur during the first few weeks of play.

“I recommend that athletes start participating in strength and conditioning exercises at least six to eight weeks prior to the beginning of the season,” explains Scott Scholl, A.T.C., athletic trainer and head of the S.W.E.A.T. program at Heartland Orthopedic Specialists. “By doing so, athletes are able to reach an optimal level of performance while decreasing the risk of injury.”

To help your athletes reach their potential by the beginning of the season, workouts could include any or all of the following:

• Weight training
• Plyometrics
• Jump training
• Balance exercises
• Stretching

These exercises can help reduce the chance of injuries, such as tendinitis, muscle sprains, and ACL tears. Additionally, the youth injury prevention organization STOP Sports Injuries recommends that athletes keep the “10 percent rule” in mind while participating in preseason conditioning to avoid the chance of overtraining at the start of the season. Athletes should not increase weight training activity, mileage, or pace by more than 10 percent a week. This will allow athletes’ bodies to adjust properly.

The S.W.E.A.T. program at Heartland Orthopedic Specialists combines speed, weights, endurance, agility, and technique into a strength, conditioning, and injury prevention clinic for athletes held each summer.

For additional information on preseason conditioning and strength training, or to learn more about the S.W.E.A.T. program, visit Heartland Orthopedic Specialists online by clicking here or give the sports medicine experts a call today at (320) 335-6078.