Public Service Announcement: Stretch!

/ Tracy Abell

Had to take Zebu to the orthopedist yesterday.
He suffered another basketball-induced injury Sunday.
He was on crutches all week.

This is what we found out:

The hamstring (behind your thigh) is responsible for bending the knee.
The quad (on top of your thigh) is responsible for straightening the knee.
If the hamstring is tight, the knee wants to stay in bent position and
the quad has to fight it.
If the quad is putting all effort into fighting the hamstring, the quad is
not doing its work to stabilize the knee.
If the knee is not stabilized, there is much greater risk of injury.

Boys who play sports are particularly susceptible to injury because:
1) their hormones (testosterone) are more constrictive than estrogen (which is
why girls typically have greater flexibility)
2) they are still growing and since bone grows much faster than muscle,
the muscles can’t keep up and are tight
3) they are building muscle as they play their sports, and muscle
is tissue that contracts

Moral of this story?  STRETCH YOUR HAMSTRINGS!
 

4 thoughts on “Public Service Announcement: Stretch!”

  1. Poor Zebu. I hope he heals quickly.
    This could also be seen as a metaphor about the tension of opposites in our lives. There’s lots of give and take, push and pull…deep sorrows and great joys, feast and famine, love and loss. I know you’ve plunged to the depths, and I hope you’re making your way to the surface (and sunshine)…
    Email me if/when you’re ready for a phone call. xoxo

    Like

  2. Poor Zebu. I hope he heals quickly.

    This could also be seen as a metaphor about the tension of opposites in our lives. There’s lots of give and take, push and pull…deep sorrows and great joys, feast and famine, love and loss. I know you’ve plunged to the depths, and I hope you’re making your way to the surface (and sunshine)…

    Email me if/when you’re ready for a phone call. xoxo

    Like

  3. Because C is a skier and biker, he actually had ridiculously strong quads — which is part of why his ACL snapped (3 times, twice on one leg and once on the other). My quads are super weak. I try to stretch every time I’m at the gym (deep stretches, I mean).

    Like

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