Our goal at Battle Born Health is to always help you be stronger than yesterday, and a big part of that is working with patients to train in advance of going out and playing their favorite sport. Training before playing helps you build strength and stability so that you are much less likely to be injured.
What is a Rotational Sport?
Spring and summer bring a whole host of rotational sports out to play. A rotational sport is any sport where you are rotating your body to swing or hit. Think tennis, baseball and softball, golf, and pickleball. You have to train that rotational movement, especially if you have not done much of it over the winter months.
Why is Rotational Sports Training Important?
Oftentimes patients think rotational sports training is about stretching. I cannot emphasize enough that it is not the stretching that allows you to rotate, but the strength and stability throughout your core. Remember, your core is not just your abs. The muscles that make up your core are your diaphragm and abdominals, as well as muscles deep in the spine and your pelvic floor. Your strength comes from your your hips and glutes, which is where the majority of the power comes from when you are swinging a golf club or tennis racket.
Rotational training is all about building control and stability to get a better range of motion and more power in your swings. When you have strong spinal muscles and stabilizer muscles, you are less likely to be injured by having muscles overworked, straining the ligaments of the spine, or herniating a disc.
What are some Rotational Training Exercises?
Exercise to Gain Mobility in Your Spine for Rotational Sports Performance
Before engaging in these sports, it is important that you have proper mobility in your spine. This exercise will help you get that strength and stability.
Mobility Exercise: Wild Thing
Wild Thing is an exercise that helps improve your ability to control that rotational movement. It is all about control and balance.
Great Exercise for Thoracic Rotation
Watch how to twist to get much needed and isolated thoracic mobility. You can do this with or without a resistance band.
Build Strength and Power in Your Hips and Glutes
Rotational sports like golf and tennis require you to have power and strength in your hips. In this exercise, you want a weight and you want to start out slow. As you get stronger, you can add speed, but make sure you get the control and strength down first.
Balance and Stability: Single Leg Hinge with a Twist
Challenge your balance with this single leg hinge with a twist. This exercise will help build stability and balance and build strength in your hips, glutes and legs. All of which really helps with performance when playing rotational sports where you want to hit something far, like a golf ball or baseball.
