Pilates for Soccer Players: Treatment of Common Injuries and Muscle Weakness Written by Kimberly Waithe Date: October, 2012 This is a student paper, submitted to BASI Pilates by the writer as a requirement for completion of the BASI Pilates Comprehensive Teacher Training Course. The contents are not endorsed by BASI Pilates. The paper is being provided by the writer and BASI Pilates as a service to the Pilates community. Copyright 2013 BASI Pilates All rights reserved. This paper or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of BASI Pilates, except for the use of brief quotations with the appropriate attribution. 1
Abstract The Pilates method offers an excellent supplement to the soccer player s training. Pilates effectively works weak areas of the body through spring and body weight resistance and many of the exercises also offer an active stretch, effectively allowing the athlete to build flexibility while at the same time adding strength. An effective Pilates for soccer routine must focus on building strength and flexibility in the hip adductors, back extensors, and hamstrings. These areas are crucial for improving performance on the soccer field, while also helping to prevent injury. Exercises that work these three areas should be included in the Pilates routine for the soccer player, without neglecting the work of the rest of the body. The benefits of Pilates for the soccer player are numerous and include, among others, improved strength, flexibility and agility. 2
Table of Contents 1 Title Page 2 Abstract 3 Table of contents 4 Anatomical description 5 Anatomical Description 6 Case Study 7 Case Study 8 Conditioning Program 9 Conditioning Program 10 Program Explanation 11 Program explanation 12 Program Explanation 13 Conclusion 14 Bibliography 3
Anatomical Description of the leg Many soccer players experience hamstring strains and injuries through the course of their career. It is important that a Pilate s training plan include both exercises for this area as well as the hip adductors. Hip adductor strength and flexibility has shown to be very important for preventing injury in soccer players, as well as for rehabilitation purposes. Diagram 1 below illustrates the muscles of the hamstring and the adductor muscles of the hip. The hamstring muscle group consists of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. The hip adductor muscles comprise the gracilis, pectineus, adductor longus, adductor magnus, and adductor brevis. 4
Case Study This case study will explore a Pilates conditioning program for a client, John. John is a competitive soccer player who sometimes experiences pain in his lower body, particularly in his hamstrings. He is 24-yearsold and has an athletic build. Knowing that many soccer players experience certain weaknesses and muscle imbalances I looked for a few key items on his client assessment form. There, he noted pain in the groin and hamstring region, particularly on the left side of his body. Knowing that many athletes can experience handedness patterns, I decided to pay particular attention to this during John s first session. John also wrote that he feels like he is very inflexible and had previously suffered from a groin injury. During John s first session, I started him with a roll down so I could assess his posture and any possible deviations. I then guided him through a fundamental level Pilate s routine on the reformer. As John performed the foot work, I noticed that he struggled to feel his hamstring activate. I surmised that he may be quadriceps-dominant and made sure to use the appropriate cues so he could more successfully activate his hamstrings. I also paid attention to his form during hip work circles down and up and watched to see if he was able to stabilize his pelvis. He had the most problems during the hip work supine series. After the session, I added some notes about what I had observed. John seemed to be weaker on his left side, which I thought could account for the increased pain he felt on that side of his body. I also noticed that he had tight hamstrings and his adductor muscles seemed to be weak. I designed a program that would build flexibility and strength in his hip adductors and also strengthen and stretch his hamstrings. I attributed the groin injury to possible weakness in the hip adductors. As I advanced John through a few weeks of Pilates, I made sure to watch for changes in the strength and flexibility of his lower body, However, I also worked on the rest of his body, both to achieve balance and to build stronger core muscles so his overall stability would continue to improve. According to current research into strength and conditioning, the flexibility and strength of the hip adductor muscles are crucial in preventing injury in soccer players. I made sure to incorporate the appropriate exercises in John s Pilates routine. The research also indicates that previous injury, strength imbalances, and hamstring inflexibility may all be risk factors for hamstring injury. With this is mind, I made sure to pay close attention to John s weaker side, so the strength on each side of the body would be equal. Since flexibility is key, I made sure to include exercises for hamstring flexibility to John s sessions as well as giving him a few mat exercises to practice at home on his own. These Pilates workouts succeeded in decreasing the pain John felt in his legs and groin area after a soccer match. After several weeks of exercising, John began to show vast improvement. The left side of his body had made significant strength gains and he seemed to be stronger overall. John experiences pain in his groin much less frequently than previously and his hamstrings do not seem to be as tight or as painful as they were. He has also noted improvements in both his speed and his agility. 5
Conditioning Program Stage 1 Conditioning Program Warm Up Pelvic curl, spine twist supine, chest lift, chest lift with rotation Foot Work Reformer: Parallel heels, parallel toes, v-position toes, open v heels, open-v toes, calf raises, prances, prehensile, single leg heel, single leg toe. Abdominal Work Reformer: Hhundred prep and coordination Hip Work Reformer: Frog, circles down, circles up, openings Spinal Articulation Stretches None during the first 10 sessions Reformer: Standing Lunge Full Body Integration 1 None during the first 10 sessions Arm Work Reformer: Arms Supine series: extension, adduction, circles up, circles down, Leg Work Reformer: Hamstring curl from the long box series, and jumping series with the jump board. Lateral Flexion/Rotation Back Extension Wunda chair: Side pike Wunda chair: Swan basic 6
Stage 2 conditioning program: Warm Up Roll up, spine twist supine, double leg stretch, single leg stretch, criss-cross Foot Work Cadillac: parallel heels, parallel toes, v-position toes, open-v heels, open-v toes, calf raises, prances, single leg heel, single leg toe Abdominal Work Cadillac: Breathing with PT bar, Mini roll ups, mini roll ups obliques Hip Work Cadillac: Single leg supine: Frog, circles down and up, hip extension, bicycle Spinal Articulation Stretches Full Body Integration 1 Arm Work Reformer: bottom lift and bottom lift with extension Reformer: kneeling lunge Reformer: Up Stretch 1 and Elephant Reformer: Arms Kneeling series Leg Work Reformer: Single leg skating & Magic circle legs sitting series Lateral Flexion/Rotation Reformer: Side over Back Extension Reformer: Pulling Straps 1 &2 7
Program Explanation Stage 1 of the conditioning program utilizes fundamental to intermediate Pilates exercises. I selected foot work on the reformer so the client could begin to get a feel of how the foot work should be done and also focus on his alignment without too many other distractions. I selected hundred prep on the reformer because it is a fundamental exercise. As a new Pilates student, John needed to get used to incorporating his core into every movement; both hundred prep and coordination are good exercises for that. For John s hip work I selected the hip work supine series on the Reformer. I chose this series because these exercises are an excellent way for John to both stretch and strengthen his hip adductor muscles, two things that will be vital in both preventing injury and improving his performance as a soccer player. I did not include spinal articulation since John was new to Pilates. The next exercise, standing lunge, I had John perform on the reformer. This was a great way for him to begin to work through some of the tightness in his hamstrings. Again, John is a new student, so full-body integration was not performed. The next series of exercises were arms supine on the Reformer. I selected arms supine so John could concentrate on his form and focus on engaging the latissimus dorsi and build strength in his shoulders. For the leg work block I selected hamstring curl and the jump board series. John s hamstrings were weak and tight, so the hamstring curl was a good way for him to build strength in those muscles. I selected the jump board series so he could work his quadriceps and practice landing from jumps. As a defender, John has to sometimes jump to prevent headers at the net; practicing the biomechanics of a correct jump and landing will decreases the risk of injury. For the lateral flexion block, John performed side pike on the Wunda Chair. Although an intermediate exercise, side pike requires a lot of stabilization, something that I thought would be both beneficial and challenging for John and something he can work toward perfecting throughout his Pilates practice. For John s final exercise I chose swan basic on the Wunda Chair. This is a fundamental exercise and one that I thought would be beneficial for him since back extension can be an important factor is certain soccer skills such as the bicycle kick. Conditioning Program Stage 2 During the second phase of John s Pilates conditioning program, I focused on building on the fundamental skills he had learned as well as adding additional exercises to improve his strength, flexibility, agility on the field, and help prevent injury. The foot work block was performed on the Cadillac. This ensured that John was able to activate his hamstrings during the exercises, as well as providing a stretch for those muscles. For abdominal work, John completed breathing with the pushthrough bar. This was a good exercise for him to help improve his coordination and balance, two vital skills for an athlete. He also worked on mini roll up and mini roll up obliques, so we could ensure that he experienced balanced strength in all aspects of his core. For hip work, I instructed John through single leg supine. 8
These were good exercises to help him build strength in his hamstrings and adductors, as well as to develop control in the adductor muscle group and practice stabilizing his pelvis, an aspect of Pilates he had struggled with in his initial assessment. I also selected the single leg supine series, since John was weaker on his left side. This ensured that his left side would do equal work, building strength in his left leg and bringing balance to his body. For exercise in the spinal articulation block, John performed Bottom Lift and Bottom Lift with Extension. I chose these exercises to help John develop strength in his hamstrings as well as bring control to his hips. For stretches, John performed Kneeling Lunge. Initially, John s hamstrings were too tight to perform this exercise but after several sessions of working on standing lunge, he successfully completed the kneeling lunge. For full-body integration, John completed Up stretch 1 and Elephant. Both exercises were good ways for him to stretch his hamstrings while simultaneously working on stabilizing his trunk and shoulders. For the arm work block, John performed the Arms Kneeling Series. He had become very proficient in Arms Supine series so Arms Kneeling provided a good challenge for his trunk stabilization. During additional leg work I guided him through Single Leg Skating, which provided work for his hip abductors, I wanted to ensure that in working John s adductors we did not lose balance or strength with the abductors. He also performed ankles, below the knees, and above the knees in the magic circle sitting series. These provided another way for John to practice foot control, a vital part of his sport, while adding strength to his hip adductor muscle group. For lateral flexion, John practiced Side Over from the Reformer Short Box Series. This was a good way for him to practice stabilizing his trunk while also providing a challenge for his obliques. For the final back extension block, John performed Pulling Straps 1 and 2. I chose these exercises so John could engage his back extensors and work on building strength in those muscles. Conclusion Based on current research in the field of sports medicine, it can be concluded that Pilates is a very effective and beneficial workout for soccer players. As with any client, it is important to tailor the focus of the Pilates routine to benefit the individual. Pilates for the soccer player allows the athlete to continue to work on strong areas as well as bring focus to weak areas and correct muscle imbalances. Based on the common movement patterns and possible injuries a soccer player can get, it is vital that a Pilates repertoire focuses on three major factors: building strength and flexibility in the hip adductor muscles, building strength and flexibility in the hamstring muscle group, and building strength and flexibility in the back extensor groups. Pilates exercises can improve a soccer player s performance through adding flexibility to tight areas, building strength in often overlooked areas, and injury prevention through strengthening and correct muscle movement patters. These methods allow a soccer player to increase strength, flexibility, and agility as well as decrease risk of injury. 9