Awhile ago, Terry asserted that there was an "epidemic" of shoulder injuries among young USS swimmers, which he asserted were all due to stroke defects. Is he right?
Lately, I've been polling parents of 12-15 year old girls and I have learned that they all seem to have nagging injuries, particularly shoulder problems: Tendonitis, scapular pain, knee pain, etc. From what I know about the practice schedules, I don't think the injuries are due to overtraining, although some put in yardage or have some pretty hard practices. None of the girls I know do doubles. They all appear to be in puberty, and perhaps the changes in their bodies account for some of this pain. I'm sure some of it is due to bad technique too. I see a lot of lack of sufficient rotation on freestyle for example. But it's very annoying. Everyone is in PT or pain. I worry that some of these girls, including my own, will quit because they are tired of battling pain.
Another thought. Elsewhere I read that one program started their girls on RC stuff beginning at age 10 and kids doing these exercises have had fewer shoulder problems. Should this be started at a young age? I know my kid is doing them.
I have also heard of this problem mainly among girls. I don't know boys with shoulder problems. But that is likely due to the fact that I know more girls because I have a girl.
Thoughts?
Do you really think the children of today in general, are fit enough to take part in any physical endeavor. Most suffer from chronic couch potato syndrome.
If they're couch potatoes, it's the parents fault. I always insisted, starting at a young age, that my kids do at least one sport a season. They like sports, so it wasn't an issue.
I've said it before, but my kids walk, run and bike places and play basketball and lacrosse outdoors with their friends. They are all extremely fit.
Most of my kids' friends seem to be actively involved in some sport. But then I do see the couch potatoes too. God knows what they're eating as well ..,
Well look at women's figure skating and gymnastics.
I believe both these sports have imposed minimum age requirements for major competitions in the last few years, so at least they're moving in the right direction.
My personal opinion (and I am not an orthopedist) is that all swimmers should be doing RC exercises. I believe you need to specifically target these small muscles to keep them (and the shoulder joint) strong and healthy. And I suspect that a healthy shoulder will tolerate overuse and less than perfect technique (like mine) better.
AMEN! I agree wholeheartedly!
Do you really think the children of today in general, are fit enough to take part in any physical endeavor. Most suffer from chronic couch potato syndrome.
I think I had great coaching back in the 60s. Both George Haines and Don Easterling were NOT proponents of stretching before exercise. We would do a very ez 400 or so and then lightly stretch in the water before main sets, but not that much stretching. I'm with george on this one, and I have started stretching my calf muscles because they are too tight and I cramp up at about mile number 3 and it is helping.
Honestly I think you're way off base. I'll bet you statistically professional athletes are able to extend their careers longer now than ever before. Not to say there isn't still room for improvement. Certainly in swimming there are an increasing number of athletes able to compete post-college, although I think this has a lot more to do with financial issues as opposed to injuries.
Well look at women's figure skating and gymnastics. Yes there are professional careers after the olympics, but the physical costs of getting there in terms of injuries and moving away from home to train every day year round to be an olympic hopeful, let alone be a gold medalist. Of course there are exceptions in every sport. Orthepedic surgery has come a long way as well as physical therapy which helps extend careers after injuries as well as learn to be more effecient to avoid repeat injuries. Swimming with proper technique even year round probably has less of this going on anyway.
When I was a kid swimming competitively we swam summer league, played soccer in the fall, basketball in winter, softball in spring. (Or some combo of other sports depending on the kid). When I was about 15 a lot of my summer swim mates started swim training year round and instead of us all swimming around the same times and trading off places, they really surpassed me. I just wasn't going to swim year round 'cause I liked all the other sports, too. I got sick of the competition part by age 17 'cause the fun was gone and for them it was all about winning, not comraderie and shared experiences with prizes as occasional treats, so that was my last summer competing.
There seems to be a lower and lower age where professional atheletes peak. Kids have to do so much to be competitive so early. Many sports are more and more physically demanding with more injuries. In Highland Dancing the kids are suffering all kinds of knee problems, bone and ligament issues and even torn achilles. Your highland dancing career is over by age 20 for most.
So anyway, I think we were doing a lot of cross training as kids before training for one sport year round came into vogue.
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This may be better here??? Just came accross this from our local physio www.myphysio.ca/education.php
Who's Angel?
When I used to stretch religiously before practice I had sore shoulders. ......And there I was, further stretching the areas that were already loose ..........I highly believe in stretching the legs though.....
This has been my experience too. This exchange beween all the contributors is wonderful! I've been suffering a hurting shoulder since I started swimming intensively. I suffered after I didn't warm-up before strong morning swims (for me that is 2,500 m) as well as after lots of stretching before Masters in the evening (always around 2200 M).
Now following George's advice and that of others of warming up slowly and stretching/dryland exercise separately I am doing much better AND I am able to increase the daily distances I'm able to swim :banana: to prepare for OW races this summer.
The one expert I like best says never stretch, use proper warm up and cool down.
I do gentle stretch myself for my calf muscles. That is it.
George, there was an excellent article in Swim magazine a few years ago, in fact the best one I ever read on the subject.
It pointed out that the stretches that swimmers do, the common ones we see guys doing on the deck are actually bad for your rotator cuffs and induce lexity in the wrong places.
Having been through the rehab issues, I think many of our injuries are the result of laxity in the joint. In that regard, I'd say your friend is absolutely right, best for us not to stretch. I suppose if we got a good physio exam and they could see exactly where we were tight or loose we could make sure to only stretc certain places, but absent that no stretching can be a good way to go.
In my own case, when my shoulders act up, I need to do shoulder strengthening, not stretching.
