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During an average football/rugby season injuries are estimated to cost professional clubs in excess of £75 million, with 10% of squads unavailable at any one time. Therefore, you may already be involved in or are considering a risk management approach to preventing such injuries.  There are five particular muscles or muscle groups that are prone to overstretching or strain injuries:

1. Hamstring muscles
2. Rectus femoris and quadriceps group
3. Gastronemius and soleus of calf
4. Adductor group of hip (groin)
5. Short extensor muscles of back

Most of the above are two joint muscles i.e. that pass and work over two joints.

The exceptions are the hip (groin) adductors. Any warm-up should therefore focus on dynamic stretching of these muscle groups for example controlled leg swings to dynamically stretch the hamstring muscles. Whilst a developmental flexibility session should include the static stretching of these muscle groups.

Phase 4 - Active Rehabilitation Stage

For the player to be allowed to exercise in the active rehabilitation stage he/she should be able to:

• Begin non weight bearing exercises
• Progress to partial weight bearing exercises
• Progress to full weight bearing exercises
• Progress to active functional activities related to the game

Intermediate Grade Exercises

The player in this phase will progress from

• single muscle group movement
• single joint movement
• non complex movements
• dynamic non weight bearing exercises

Next progression to partial weight bearing exercises

• multi-muscle movements (patterns of functional movement)
• multi-joint movements (patterns of functional movement)
• dynamic partial weight bearing (pwb) exercises
• exercises that involve more complex balance and co-ordination

The player will carry out exercises where the hip, knee and ankle joints all work together with the muscles that move these joints. The injured limb bears some body weight with the arms and good limb.

The aim is in turn to take progressively more weight which will in turn develop

·         Muscle strength

·         Balance

·         Coordination

The key to progress is to alter the exercise starting position so that the body weight is moved progressively more and more against the effects of gravity.

Exercises in a horizontal plane, Progress to exercises in a diagonal / oblique plane, progress to exercise in a vertical plane.

All of these movements involve: -

·         Concentric muscle work when extending the joints and raising the body.

·         Eccentric muscle work when flexing the joints or lowering the body.

Both of these actions being multi-joint/multi muscle in type are the movement we use to move and play football/rugby when we walk, run, jump or land from jumping.

Other full weight-bearing exercises of this type can be mixed with strengthening techniques using weights, endurance activities be the use of static bicycles, rowing machines and swimming pool.

When the injured player’s recovery is such that he has

• Full joint range
• Full muscle strength and power
• Good balance
• Good co-ordination

He/she can move into functional rehabilitation phase of using the ball and practising to regain the activities and skills to return to full match play.

Movement

Motor control and learning

As the individual reaches higher levels of motor control the limits of performance are extended which allows for finer coordinated movement.

Correct practice makes perfect.

A specific motor learning objective becomes maximally efficient when it can be performed automatically. It becomes automatic through successful repetition. The player passes through phases of reduced concentration and difficulty to perform the task.

When the movement pattern can be performed easily you can say that motor learning has occurred.

Often repeated movements lead to preferred pathways in the central nervous system which enhances control and delivery of the movement.

Re-education of specific/balance movement/skills should follow a progression from single to more complex movements. The early movements should be designed with the end complex in mind.

Phase 5 - Functional Rehabilitation Phase

Aims of treatment

1. To improve balance/proprioception and movement co-ordination.
2. To provide psychological reassurance of function.
3. Restore specific skills and movement patterns to pre-injury levels
4. Weight bearing control of movement
5. Balance of body
6. Transference of body weight
7. Co-ordination of skilled body movement
8. Reaction time of movement

The late rehabilitation stage concentrates on formal full–weight bearing exercises such as squats, lunges or step ups. These exercises are pre-requisites to achieve the desired muscle strength, power, endurance, joint range of movement, balance and co-ordination attributes required to work at this functional level.

Activities/functions performed during a game

1. walking

2. jogging

3. low speed running

4. moderate speed running (cruising)

5. high speed running

6. sprinting

7. straight line running

8. backward running

9. sideways running

10. diagonal running

11. hopping (left leg/right leg)

12. bounding (starting/stopping)

13. jumping (right foot/left foot/both feet)

14. landing (left foot/right foot/both feet)

15. squatting

16. lunging/stretching

17. directional changes at speed

18. rotational work (weight bearing)

19. turning

20. side stepping or cutting

21. dribbling

22. passing the ball

23. receiving/controlling the ball

24. throwing the ball heading the ball

25. kicking (stationary ball/moving ball/half volley/volley)

26. shooting

27. tackling

28. being tackled

Rugby/Football consists of many complex movements requiring high skill levels both with and without a ball. These cannot be performed without high degrees of balance and co-ordination ability.

North West Pilates & Yoga Centre provides a bespoke programme, football and rugby specific based on the original works of Joseph Pilates and has applications of Hatha yoga implemented were appropriate.

Please call Nisha on 01744 751115 for further details

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Nisha Srivastava -  Studio Director

Nisha is one of the UK's leading STOTT PILATES™ experts.
 
Nisha began her training with Miss Gaynor Owen at the Merseyside Dance and Drama Centre and gained her teachers qualification in ISTD modern tap and ballet. In 1992 she opened the Alhambra Academy of Dance and Drama in Rainhill, Whiston and Woolton. The Alhambra raises funds for local charities, and so far has given £10,000. Pupils of the school have regularly appeared on TV and professional pantomime.

 
Nisha is presently employed by Village Group Hotels, Greens Health and Fitness, and Total fitness. She did her Pilates training both with Michael King and Stott. She is a regular guest presenter at the “Dallas School of Western and Classical Dance”, Mumbai. She has taught Pilates to St. Helens Rugby Team, Wigan Warriors, Liverpool football youth Academy and various soap opera celebrities.

This year she attended the mind body convention in San Hose, California, Taking workshops in breast cancer rehab, Gyrokinesis, East and West Coast Pilates, Ron Fletcher method and New York style Pilates. The methods of teaching that she uses have been greatly influenced by Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Kathy Corey, Elizabeth Larkam, P J O’Clair, and Hollywood’s favourite Siri Dharma Galliano.

Nisha holds her full certification with STOTT PILATES™, qualifying her to teach all aspects of injury, specialist, and populations from essential to Advanced Mat, Reformer Cadillac, Chair and Barrels.

Qualifications.

• Step certification, peppers fitness October 1992.

• Slide certification, fit pro November 1993.

• Cycle Reebok certification, November 1998.

• Boxercise certification with Andy Wake, august 1998.

• Chi ball level 1 certification with Monica Linford, September 1998.

• Pulse spin certification, July 1999.

• STOTT PILATES™ Matwork certification, August 2001.

• Pilate’s Matwork, Michael king, Pilates institute September 2002.

• Red Cross emergency life support course October 2002.

• STOTT PILATES™ pre-natal July 2003.

• Intensive reformer, Stott institute Toronto, August 2003.

• Keiser spin certification, April 2004.

• Advanced Anatomy and Physiology, Intelligent Fitness, March 2004.

• STOTT PILATES™ Advanced Mat, Active Pilates, Oxford Airport, August 2004.

• STOTT PILATES™ Advanced Reformer, Active Pilates, Oxford Airport, November 2004.

• STOTT PILATES™ Advanced CCB Active Pilates, Oxford Airport, December 2004.

• Field based fitness testing, sports coach, UK, January 2005.

• STOTT PILATES™ Golf and racquets Pilates mat work and reformer, active Pilates, oxford airport, May 2005.

• STOTT PILATES™ postural analysis may 2005.

• Intelligent fitness advanced skills flexibility and the science of stretching June 2005.

• Intelligent fitness advanced skills postural assessment and correction June 2005.

• Intelligent fitness advanced skills torso conditioning August 2005.

• Speedo shallow wave-October 2005.

• AEA - certified aqua instructor, December 3^rd 2005.

Diane Kirby - Pilates Instructor

Diane Kirby served as a police constable for ten years with Merseyside police. During which time she received a commendation in recognition of her hard work.
 
After the birth of her first child, Diane decided to leave to be a full time mum, and it was during that time that she developed an interest in the fitness industry. As soon as the second of her children started school, Diane successfully trained as a fitness instructor, later training at the Pilates Institute with Michael King.
 

• Exercise to Music - YMCA Fit May 2003.
• Exercise and Fitness Knowledge - YMCA Fit May 2003.
• Aqua Exercise - YMCA Fit November 2003.
• Stability Ball Training - Northern Fitness and Education January 2004
• Keiser Studio Cycling April 2004
• Pilates Mat Work OCR level 2 Northern Fitness & Education March 2004
• Pilates Intermediate Matwork - Michael King, Pilates Institute Oct 2004
• Pilates Institute Pregnancy and Pilates Course October 2004
• Pilates Reformer - Pilates Institute July 2005
• Pilates Advanced Matwork Michael King, Pilates Institute Nov 2005

Christine Moorcroft – Massage

Christine qualified from St. Helens College gaining a National Diploma in Sports Therapy.  She has a long past history of sports and fitness qualifications, beginning with a BTEC Diploma in Sports Studies studied at Runshaw College for two years.  This then led her on to a three year degree course in BSc Sports Studies at Edge Hill University College, Ormskirk.

Christine holds a National Diploma in Sports Therapy gained after 2 years at St. Helens College. 

During her time on the course she gained experience in the colleges running clinic, dealing with a variety of people with a wide range of complaints, sports and non-sports injuries.  Providing sports massage, injury treatment and rehabilitation, bio-mechanical and postural analysis.

Christine has attended many sporting events such as the London Marathon and the European Triathlon Championships held in Liverpool, and many local cross-country and decathlon events, providing pre and post event massage to both amateur and elite athletes.

Qualifications

• The FA Level 2 and 3 in the Treatment and Management of Injuries in Football
• The FA Child Protection and Best Practice Certificate
• VTCT Level 3 Swedish Massage
• VTCT Level 3 Sports Massage Therapy
• VTCT Level 3 Anatomy and Physiology
• VTCT Level 2 and 3 Sports and Fitness Therapies
• VTCT Certificate in Spa Pool Usage
• VTCT Certificate in Bio-mechanics of Movement
• VTCT Level 3 Non-Medical Nutritional Advice
• BSc Sports Studies
• First Aid at Work Certificate

STOTT PILATES™ conditioning will help you develop optimal strength, flexibility, endurance and posture without adding bulk or stressing your joints. The perfect compliment to cardiovascular exercise, athletic training or rehabilitation, STOTT PILATES™ exercises will leave you looking toned, feeling revitalized and moving with ease.

How long will I have to do the workout before I see results?

The average active person, doing 2-3 classes per week should see some results within 10-12 classes. This will vary depending on each individual and things surrounding the number of classes a person takes each week, whether they are private or group classes, whether they participate in other physical activities, and whether they are existing injuries.

The question is best answered by one of Joseph Pilate’s favourite quotes from chillier. “It is the mind itself which builds the body”.

Co-founder Moiré Merrithew agrees that while Pilates can aid in losing weight, it’s not as easy or as fast as some would make it seem. “Commercials are effective marketing tools”, she says, “but science does not back up Pilates programs that position themselves as calorie burning systems”. The Pilates method of exercises not aerobic (cardiovascular), which, along with a sensible diet, is necessary for burning fat.
 

Pilates will help strengthen, build and tone muscle mass. Muscles are metabolically active tissue. “Skeletal muscles are responsible for more than 25 percent of our calorie use. An increase in muscle tissue causes a corresponding increase in our metabolic rate.” (American council on exercise personal trainer manual c 1996) the relationship also works the other way.

A strong healthy muscle will metabolize fat much more effectively than a weak, non fit muscle. Because Pilates strengthens muscles, people who practice it regularly become more effective at metabolizing calories, which had been stored as fat.
 

Although you should always consult your physician before starting any fitness routine, Pilate’s workout is gentle and controlled with no sudden jarring action is therefore more important that you work with a qualified instructor to ensure you are doing the movements correctly. An experienced instructor will be able to modify the exercises to accommodate your limitations, continually challenge you within your range and monitor your improvements. If you commit yourself to a consistent workout ached ale you will certainly feel results.

Back Problem Testimonial
Having suffered for many years with back problems and having visited Doctors, Hospitals and Physiotherapists it was suggested by a Physiotherapist that Pilates might help with my problem. My problem being a debilitating severe muscle spasm, which occurs when the back muscles support the lower vertebrae, which do not separate as normal. Whilst Pilates doesn't cure the problem it has lengthened my spine, improved my posture and strengthened my back muscle so that the spasm hardly ever occurs, but more importantly the lessons and exercises learned on realigning and lengthening the back enables me to confidently react to a spasm with exercise, rather than rest and reduce recovery time from what was often weeks to a matter of days. Colin Leahy Managing Director Carlton Freight

Mat-based workouts are very convenient and they can be done anywhere. However, a mat workout will provide no added resistance. A reformer workout adds resistance to your routine and can correct muscular imbalances better than a mat routine would.

The available information on pregnancy and exercise can be very confusing and conflicting.

STOTT tries to stay on top of the latest research regarding safety and pregnancy and covers this topic in the ISP (injuries & special populations) segment of our certification.
 

No two women’s bodies are the same, and this is especially true during pregnancy and not for others. During a normal, healthy pregnancy, moderate exercise is safe for the foetus. Exercise is also said to prevent various veins, haemorrhoids and ease back pain-not to mention boosting self esteem. The guidelines stated by the American council on exercise are not as hard-and –fast as they used to be.

However, research suggests that no new exercise routine should be started during your first trimester. As ell, you should be careful of over-exerting the abdominal muscles. During the second trimester these muscles become stretched out, and some women experience diastases recti (separation of the abdominal muscles).

With reduced support for the back, you also run the risk of injuring the lower back futher, because of the increased amounts of remained progesterone release the body during pregnancy, the ligaments surrounding the joints become lax, which leaves them loose and vulnerable. For this reason, you should be careful not to overstretch. It is important, though, to continue strengthening and rebalancing muscles around the joint-still trying to centre the body as it goes through many postural changes due to pregnancy.

Today many guidelines for pregnancy indicate that once you reach the second trimester you should not exercise in a supine position (lying on your back) as your   may be cutting off oxygen to the foetus even if you yourself are not feeling dizzy). In general we teach that it is better to be safe and not take any chances. In the second trimester we still do some mat work courses but we make sure that the upper torso is raised as it is when using the “spine supporter”. We then alternate the inclined position with sitting, kneeling and standing exercises done on the mat, reformer and Cadillac. A great piece of the equipment for pregnancy is the stability chair, because it facilitates so many exercises in an upright position. Of course drinking lots of water is always important, and be sure not to over-exert yourself. The beauty of this type of work is that it can be individualized for anyone’s ability.

Physically, many people have been known to actually get taller by working out consistently. By emphasizing posture, you learn to stretch your spine through Pilates, and by strengthening the deep abdominals to support the rest of the body you learn to maintain your height effortlessly. The most impressive results are those reported to people who have slouched most of their lives and after a few months of practising Pilates they are able to stand up much straighter, and are therefore measurably taller. However, even people having studied dance consistently for years before beginning a Pilate’s program, have noticed an increase in height over time.

• Pilates is three-dimensional (i.e. exercise can be performed using all movement planes)

• spring resistance more closely resembles muscular contraction

• emphasis on concentric/eccentric contraction for injury prevention

• STOTT PILATES™ is customizable for special needs

• in Pilates exercise, emphasis is placed on rebalancing muscles around the joint

• Pilates corrects over-training and muscle imbalance that leads to injury

• Pilates emphasizes balancing strength and flexibility (for injury prevention and more efficient movement)

• STOTT PILATES™ leads to improvement in posture and body awareness

STOTT PILATES™ is a muscular-skeletal conditioning program. In combination with some kind of cardiovascular exercise (walking, running, aerobics, aqua fitness, etc), it’s all you need. For people who reach advanced levels, they can actually elevate their heart rate with Stott power workouts

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• Jason Kidd & New Jersey Nets; NBA

• Tiger Woods; PGA golfer

• Jason Giambi; MLBl

• Venus Williams; Tennis

• Levi Wenrich; Hart Basketball

• Sarina Coutin; Hart Soccer

• Dale Fairclough; SCV club Water Polo

• Ruben Brown;   NFL

• Curt Schilling;  MLB

"I used to feel like crap after practice and games but not since Pilates.  I learned to breathe through my muscles. My posture is better. I can run more fluidly. And I increased my bench workouts. I came out of the season injury-free."--Ruben Brown; Chicago Bears, NFL
 

 "Pilates has made me quicker, more explosive."
--Jason Kidd, NJ Nets, NBA

"Pilates is going to add five, six, seven...years to my career."
--Rocco Mediate; PGA Tour pro

Strength and conditioning coach for the Texas Rangers, Fernando Montes began recommending Pilates to his players in the early 1990's.  Pilates helped the players gain strength from the centre, or core, while "limiting the amount of stress on the joints. It gave them greater range of motion, and exposed some of their weaknesses."