Hamstring injuries are one of the most common injuries experienced by those who play sports such as Aussie Rules, Rugby League, Rugby Union and Soccer. The injury usually occurs at the point of maximal activation and at the peak length of the muscle. Previously it was thought that stretching would help prevent these types of muscle injury, current research has showed that not only is this not the case, but it is probably more likely to contribute to the injury. The current recommendations for preventing hamstrings injuries are that a function warm up is more appropriate for getting the hamstring ready for sport and preventing injury. What does that involve?
In the above-mentioned sports a good warm up should consist of:
- Light jogging
- Sprinting – acceleration and deceleration
- Kicking a ball – standing and on the run
- Walking kicks
- Lunges
- Agility – side stepping and quick direction changes