shoulder

Unconventional Exercises

Posted on by ameliebyam

I’m constantly impressed by the agility on display in dodgeball. People are always finding creative ways to move their bodies and be unpredictable in dodging away from the ball. In my own pursuit of better movement, i’ve come across a lot of articles that focus on repatterining lost movement, and building connections in your brain to make agile movement come to you more naturally.

Perry Nickleston over at the Onnit Academy has this to say about it:

Fundamental human movements are not about strength, but maximizing body control and efficient movement. Dysfunctional movement patterns develop over the course of your life causing compensations. The body locks down joints and tightens up soft tissue for self protection. It craves safety and stability above all else and takes the path of least resistance to get them. Getting from point A to point B is done any way your body can do it, regardless if it’s the right or wrong. These compensations negatively impact quality of movement leading to a decreased quality of life.

While strength is important to a better game, the path to better overall athleticism is through quality movement.

Nickleston’s article, 5 Essential Movements for Peak Agility, is a collection of (sometimes unconventional) exercises that help solidify basic movements. They look simple, but I was surprised to find at least some of the exercises challenging – especially the ones that require simultaneous movement from opposing limbs.

I really like the diagonal side sit because it builds strength through your back and obliques while in a rotational position. It definitely helps to counteract some of that lower back soreness that you start to feel mid-season.

Crawling exercises also help to build your core and joint strength, as well as balance and agility. If you’re looking for more of a challenge, check out these crawling exercises over at The Cody Blog. If you’re chasing a ball down low, it can’t hurt to be comfortable and agile on all fours!

Give these unconventional exercises a try!  I promise that they will get your heart rate up and your core working hard.

Get Up Like A Boss

Posted on by ameliebyam

One of my absolute favourite exercises is the Turkish Get Up (TGU). I discovered it while looking for a kettlebell exercise that would work my balance, and target the stabilizer muscles in my shoulders. TGUs take you from lying down to standing, while working your shoulder through multiple planes of motion. Your core has to remain engaged to support your balance throughout each step.

In dodgeball, a strong core is essential in developing power in your throw, balancing through that throwing motion, and controlling your deceleration as you reach the end of your release. A shoulder with strong stabilizing muscles will help to prevent injury to the rotator cuff. A strong core will help you accelerate and decelerate through your throw, and you get a bridge and a lunge in there too, which are great movements for your hips, glutes and legs.

An extra added bonus is that you feel like a boss when you get to the top!

Don’t forget that the TGU is about quality movement, rather than crushing weight. Don’t be shy about practicing each step unweighted before transitioning to a light kettlebell or dumbbell and working up from there. There are also some natural resting positions in the TGU which can be worked over until you have them mastered.

Lastly, don’t forget about your non-dominant side. Unless you’re Jeff Snow (#6 Canada), you’re probably working one side of your body much more than the other. Show both arms some love!

Head to toe, the TGU is awesome.

Shoulder Health

Posted on by ameliebyam

As anyone who plays a game of dodgeball quickly realizes, this is a sport that puts your shoulder and rotator cuff through its paces. After a few scares with shoulder subluxion, and years of nagging back and rotator cuff pain, I started looking for ways to preserve and improve my shoulder health.

This video over at BreakingMuscle.com has a few simple exercises that I found have been really effective at improving the health of my shoulder. Even after one round of these exercises, I could feel (and sometimes hear) points of tension releasing, and definitely noticed a difference in the mobility of my shoulders.

For a daily challenge, I also really like this articular rotation exercise from the Onnit Academy. Throwing sports really build up a lot of tension in the front part of your chest and shoulder. By bringing your shoulder through its entire range of motion, you’ll start to combat that tightness, prevent injury and preserve your arm.