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Sever’s Disease in Gymnasts

Posted on by Tara Hackney, PT, DPT, OCS, KTTP

Many young kids that participate in sports can have complaints of pain in their heels. This is more common in children who are actively growing and those who are very active in running and jumping sports. Young gymnasts fall into this category, and they also practice and compete barefoot, which can lead to a higher risk of injury to the foot.

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Top Injuries in Male Gymnasts

Posted on by Tara Hackney, PT, DPT, OCS, KTTP

Male and female gymnasts compete in similar but different events. Men’s gymnastics events place different demands on the body, especially the upper body, for events such as rings, high bar, parallel bars, and pommel horse. Therefore, the top injuries for male and female gymnasts may be different. Current research has shown that adolescent male gymnasts tend to have more lower-body injuries, whereas elite male gymnasts have more upper-body injuries. In general, male gymnasts tend to have more upper body injuries than female gymnasts.

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Active Recovery Tips for Gymnasts

Posted on by Tara Hackney, PT, DPT, OCS, KTTP

Gymnasts participate in their sport all year round and multiple days per week. A gymnast performs multiple repetitions of skills and their routines on equipment such as uneven or high bar, beam, floor, vault, pommel horse, or rings within each training session. Due to the nature of their training schedule, gymnasts may not have time for full recovery between events or between training sessions. We know the benefits of rest days, but what about the benefits of active recovery? Active recovery can include recovery between events during one practice as well as recovery between practices.

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4 Ways Cheerleaders Can Get Higher Jumps

Posted on by Tara Hackney, PT, DPT, OCS, KTTP

Many cheerleaders want to achieve higher and more powerful jumps. Jumps take practice and repetition. Jumping also involves the whole body, requiring strength in your legs, hips, core, back, and upper body. These four focus areas may help you achieve your high jumping goals!

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Athletico Goes to the Tokyo Olympics

Posted on by Athletico

Three Athletico clinicians recently had the experience of a lifetime traveling to the Tokyo Olympics earlier this summer. Read about each of their experiences below, the teams they supported, and the work they did to keep their Olympic athletes healthy for competition!

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4 Foot Strengthening Exercises for Gymnasts

Posted on by Tara Hackney, PT, DPT, OCS, KTTP

Foot injuries can occur when playing sports but a shoe or cleat can often protect the foot from injury. Some sports, like gymnastics, are performed barefoot. Gymnasts have extra demands placed on the small muscles of the foot as they are not getting the support of a shoe. When training barefoot, there is an increased demand of the muscles in the foot and lower leg. These muscles will help to stabilize the foot and ankle which may reduce the risk of ankle sprains or injuries higher up the leg such as in the knee or hip. How can gymnasts help prevent injury when training barefoot? Here are some ways gymnasts can strengthen their foot muscles to improve their performance.

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Knee Injuries Seen in Gymnasts

Posted on by Tara Hackney, PT, DPT, OCS, KTTP

Knee pain in young gymnasts is a common complaint. Many times these young athletes begin having pain due to overuse of the area. A common overuse injury is Osgood-Schlatter’s disease (OSD). OSD is inflammation of the patellar ligament below the kneecap. Often, there is a painful bump below the kneecap (the tibial tuberosity) where the ligament attaches.

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6 Tips to Remain Healthy During a Modified Gymnastics Season

Posted on by Melissa Winterhalter, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

The ongoing pandemic has changed many of our everyday lives – including those of athletes, many of which had to completely stop, pause or alter the way they participated in their sport. For gymnasts, their training had significantly changed since the end of the last high school or club gymnastics season. To help gymnasts return to their sport safely, here as six tips to keep in mind during the modified season.

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