Exercises

Exercises

Exercises for the Shoulder

AIR SWIMMING

This exercise is performed when standing, making sure there is enough room for your arms to circle.

a) Crawl

Mimic the front crawl by taking the arms from beside the body backwards, over the top and back down to the starting position. Repeat alternately in a nice slow gentle motion, trying to bring the arms as close to the ears as possible but start in a comfortable position and gradually bring as much to the vertical as possible as one can without pain. Repeat this for one minute.

b) Backstroke

Taking the arms from the side, forwards, over the top and backwards, again a slow motion, managing from the easy position, eventually developing as much to the vertical as possible. Repeat this for one minute.

c) Figure of 8

With each arm in turn for 30 seconds, perform a figure of 8 in front of the body, trying to reach as far back on each side as one can, and describing the crossover of the figure of 8 in front of the mid-line of the body. This stroke can also be described by doing crawl (as above) on the same side the arm is crossing over in the midline to do backstroke on the opposite side to the arm in motion.

d) Morecambe and Wise

Here, one is trying to get as near as possible to touching the hands up the back and then reverse, so one is going down the back on each side alternately. Repeat this performance for one minute slowly and gently.

e) Thumbs Out Exercise

This exercise is for posture so the shoulder hangs well from the trunk/torso.

With your thumbs extended, turn your forearms out (rotate backwards), arms out (or rotate backwards), slide the shoulder blades together as the chest comes forward. Hold for 12 seconds, 12 times every hour or as often as you can. You are trying to develop a cramp-like sensation on the inside of the shoulder blades. As this is a muscle building exercise, the more you do the quicker you will feel the benefit.

Exercises for Ankle

Apply a one inch tape (preferably sports elastic tape) to the skin running on down the outer aspect of the calf and then back up the inner aspect of the calf , ankle sock length only. (One strip only). This will massively highlight the balance receptors and retrain them much more quickly. For knee problems apply to either side of the knee.

Wear these every day and also when you start your return to sport hopefully in 2 to 3 weeks.

One-leg lunges – stand on one leg, flex the knee 45º with the knee cap over the 2nd toe.

Twelve second cycle for 12 repeats on both legs.

Wobble board – (Let me know if you need one from the practice!) Stand both feet on and go front to back.

When easy roll the rim around clockwise and counter-clockwise for 2 minutes each way.

Initially eyes open then re-do with eyes shut perhaps having your hands gently resting on the back of a chair for safety.

When easy do small squats on the board repeats of 12. Keep the rim off the ground.

When easy – one leg lunges in the same way.

Once you are doing squats on the wobble board you can start sport. To start, straight line running on sure surfaces, then involve side stepping and then once through this and doing wobble board squats return to hockey.

Using the Nintendo Wii-Fit Standing Board – feel free to use this.

Exercises for Knee

Cross ankle exercise

Sitting on a chair with your ankles crossed and underneath the chair. Squeeze the ankles together. Now start to straighten your legs out, taking them to a fully straight position or up to a pain barrier. Taking six seconds to achieve this, and six seconds back to your starting point. So each repetition takes twelve seconds. Repeat twelve times alternately on the hour every hour.