Athletes In Motion Archives - Omaha Physical Therapy Institute : Omaha Physical Therapy Institute

Importance of Sleep on Athletic Performance and Injury Risk

09/09/20

Adequate sleep is an essential part of living a healthy lifestyle. Sleep is considered to be critical to human physiological and cognitive function. Often times people place sleep on the back burner in order to keep up with the demands of our fast-paced society. According to the American Sleep Association (ASA), sleep is essential to the health of the brain,…

Train Like You Play

09/06/20

There are many variables that exist in the world of strength and conditioning, most of which athletes and avid exercisers are familiar with adjusting in order to get the desired effect from their exercise. For example, someone looking to build muscle size may primarily perform their resistance exercises in a certain repetition range and at a certain percentage of their…

Coming Back to Softball after Tommy John Surgery

06/28/20

Lauren Roecker was inspirational during her physical therapy after her Tommy John surgery. She took advantage of the specialized care Omaha Physical Therapy Institute (OPTI) provides for throwing athletes as well as utilized OPTI’s Athletes In Motion clinic at the Omaha Sports Complex to perform her return to play rehabilitation on the field turf! She has battled back to the…

Does Running Technique Matter?

06/21/20

Many people recognize the importance of technique when they become familiar with a sport. For instance, a basketball player is quite familiar with proper shooting form, a golfer the perfect swing, and a soccer player needs to focus on how they strike the ball. In many sports, technique is far more than just improving a skill, but can actually be…

Does Strength and Power Equal Confidence in ACL Rehab?

06/14/20

Is there a correlation between the amount of strength and power an individual has with their confidence in returning to play their sport after ACL reconstruction surgery? A recent article investigated this question. See the results below! No Relationship Between Strength and Power Scores and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport After Injury Scale 9 Months After Anterior Cruciate Ligament…

Run Faster and More Efficiently!

06/07/20

In distance running going faster is often thought to require greater propulsion, and ultimately, greater effort. When you are nearing the end of a training run and trying to maintain a certain heart rate, or perhaps approaching the final mile of a marathon and running on “E”, the last thing you want to think about is exerting more effort and…

Sport Specialization Among Young Athletes

05/17/20

Sport participation can offer several benefits to children and adolescents when dosed appropriately. But, over the past several years, youth athletics has changed considerably. It has changed from child-driven, fun recreational play for enjoyment to adult-driven, highly structured practice dedicated to sport-specific skill development. Young athletes have been challenged with growing competiveness in youth sports, pressures from adult coaches/parents, and…

7 Exercises to Reduce the Risk of Knee Injuries in Soccer Players!

04/21/20

It is important to make sure you are regularly challenging your neuromuscular system and training it to tolerate the loads you take on as a soccer player. Research has shown that performing a consistent neuromuscular training program can reduce the risk of injury. There are obviously other factors involved in injury rates as well (i.e. fatigue, nutrition, strength, and sleep)…

Overcoming Acute and Reoccurring Ankle Sprains

04/21/20

Ankle sprains are unfortunately all too common in sports, especially those involving running, jumping, and sudden changes in direction. An ankle sprain can sideline an athlete for various amounts of time depending on the severity of the injury. Although the extent of the injury is important to consider, a major factor in bouncing back from an ankle sprain is what…

Injury Resistance- Practice Like you Play

03/24/20

Injury in sport can happen to anyone. As speed and impact increase in higher level competition, so does the likelihood of injury. This is why, in most sports, injuries are more likely to happen (and to require surgery) during competition rather than practice (Nagle, et al). This should intuitively make sense to anyone who has ever experienced the difference between…