How to avoid injuries!

The most common tennis injuries are as follows:
Shoulder, elbow, wrist, abdomen, lower back, knee and ankle.
 
So what can we do to protect these areas?
 
1. Think about environmental risk factors:
- Equipment: racket (grip, weight, tension), shoes, balls
- Playing surface: changing surfaces
- Climate: head= dehydration
- Training intensity duration and frequency
- Warm up (stretching)
- Cool down and recovery
 
2. Think about individual risk factors
- Age (risk of injury increases with age)
- Growth
- Skill level
- Biomechanics ­ how your body is made up
 
3. Top ten tips
- Correct equipment ­ seek advice!
- Respect the environment! Stagger your exposure
- Good technique ­ don¹t develop bad habits
- Structured approach to training
- Optimal fitness leads to optimal performance
- Growth: expect and respect growth
- Warm up: aerobic, dynamic stretch, tennis specific
- Cool down: aerobic, dynamic and passive stretching
- Recovery: fluid, nutrition, ice, massage
- Referral: physiotherpist and/or GP
 
If you have a question for Sophie, email us letters@acetennismagazine.com