Dogs And Cats
Tennis is considered to be a hard sport on your wrists, elbows, shoulders and knees. (And as well are other racquet sports and handball). The hard courts in Los Angeles don’t seem to make this issue better. But is it indeed a problem of the hard courts, or the sport itself? Maybe not! Because, most of the times, the body is already dysfunctional from the life style, and the sporting activity is just pushing it over the edge – the edge that one would encounter sooner or later anyway.
Our today’s life style is “everything forward” – we sit at the desk, shoulders, arms and head moved forward, rounded upper and lower back. We drive with shoulders, head, and arms forward, rounded back. We watch TV, slouching in the couch, head, shoulders forward… you get the point, right? Think of all your activities, and see how many of them are “forward” and how many are actually putting your body in its natural position – sway/arched low back, head evenly over the shoulders and shoulders nicely back. Not too many, right?
No wonder that sooner or later many muscle groups and joints get dysfunctional. And if you swing your tennis racket with a dysfunctional shoulder thousands times, eventually you develop a shoulder or elbow or wrist problem. Similar issues can happen with your hips, low back, knees and ankles.
Your goal should be to regularly, during your day, adjust your posture to stay more straight and “backward”. Perform the following exercise that works your spine, hips, neck and shoulders in coordinated flexion and extension, and loosens up the stiff backs and necks and shoulders.
Dogs and Cats
- Get down on your hands and knees, keep your weight evenly distributed and align your hands, shoulders, hips, knees and feet in one line.
- Then visualize a happy doggie: take a deep breath and lift your tail (hips) and your head high up while arching your low back as much as you can.
- Then visualize a smooth cat: breathe out and round your back as much as you can while dropping your hips and your head low. The middle of your back should be at its highest point and you want to feel nice stretch across all your back.
- Keep repeating in a smooth continuous motion for 20 repetitions while breathing deeply. You will feel very limber and energized when you are done.
More articles and information on your shoulders will come soon. Until then, do your “cats and dogs”. Feel free to subscribe to the articles so you wouldn’t miss any future ones.
- Take a very good care of your hips, because most of the imbalances start there. Keep your hips even, and keep strengthening them with lunges, squats and windmills.
- After your practice or training, stretch regularly with a Pigeon, Frog and groin stretch and myo-fascial release on your booty.
- Take a good care of your lower legs and feet as well, with foot circles and myo-fascial release.
- Work on your agility, coordination and balance with some fun footwork drills.
- And get a good sleep for maximum performance!
- And because the weather in Los Angeles is most of the time hot, remember to always stay hydrated, as it increases your performance and optimal function of your body.
Comments
More to think about - thanks. Do you recommend a set of daily or other day exercises? Or should your followers try to do everything to suggest everyday?
Tennis Fan, you could do more than one set. Maybe 2-3 sets. And if you find some exercises more difficult, then you can focus on them a little bit more for a few days. Always try the new exercises as they arrive in your mailbox. If they are too easy, your body is probably fine. If they are difficult, keep doing them until they get easy.
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