Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Soccer Stretches: A Yoga-Inspired Stretch For Footballers & Goalkeepers


Soccer Stretches: A Yoga-Inspired Stretch That Can Benefit Footballers

If you are a 'leggy' footballer or goalkeeper, you may at times experience a rather unpleasant 'clicking' sound around the hip area. As a 'veteran' player this can become more apparent and I cannot begin to imagine on a technical/medical level precisely what is taking place when this noise occurs. What I can say is that, through the practice of gentle yoga and self-awareness through correct breathing and positioning, this discomfort can be eased significantly by following these steps.

Breath by Breath

Lie gently upon the ground and bring each knee gently and slowly towards the chest on inhaling, pulling the knee near more tightly towards the chest on exhaling. I generally feel discomfort on one side and can slightly diminish the presence of this discomfort by adjusting the approach from the knee to chest and down to the floor. Five repetitions only can be very beneficial; consider 10 for a longer, more thorough stretching session.

Tangible Benefits: This cycle of movement 'frees up' some movement around the hips and this can be beneficial for both outfield players and goal keepers, Steve T (Custodians founder) suggests.

Level of Difficulty: Very easy yet very beneficial.

Added Value: Since goalkeepers can tend to be among the larger players at a football club, this stretch may be of great use to custodians.