Digits and Chief in deep conversation while doing a 3 min wall sit with a 14# med ball.

As a long time youth athlete coach I cannot stress enough the importance of injury prevention exercises. Injury prevention exercises are crucial, not only to keep them safe but also to help them perform at their best. Young athletes are still developing their bodies, and intense physical activity can put extra strain on muscles, joints, and bones. By incorporating injury prevention exercises into their routines, they can build strength, flexibility, and proper technique, which help reduce the risk of common sports injuries like sprains, strains, and overuse or repetitive motions,

Doing exercises that target key areas—like the core, hips, and ankles—helps stabilize the body and improve coordination. This can go a long way in preventing falls, awkward movements, or accidents on the field. For example, strengthening the muscles around the knees can prevent ligament injuries, while improving balance can reduce the chances of ankle sprains. In addition, flexibility exercises like stretching keep muscles and joints limber, which is essential for overall mobility and injury prevention.

Another benefit of injury prevention exercises is that they can actually boost athletic performance. When athletes focus on strengthening weak points or addressing imbalances, their overall physical ability improves. This leads to better endurance, speed, and agility, helping them compete at a higher level. Moreover, developing good habits around injury prevention early on can set the foundation for a lifetime of healthy physical activity. For youth athletes, staying injury-free means more time on the field, ice, or pool and a higher likelihood of success in their sports. Plus, by focusing on injury prevention, they can reduce the risk of long-term physical issues that could affect them later in life.

The Force and Friend having fun while using Dumbells to strengthen shoulder and midline stabilization muscles.

At Empower Youth our goal is to provide a well rounded full body cross training program. It will always include a warmup, core work, technical training on movement of the day and then a workout that can include weight training or cardio, strength and conditioning, gymnastics and more. You can join our Varsity and Junior Varsity classes at any time, follow our link for more information. Empower Youth Programs. 

If you have an athlete who needs to work on specific imbalances or injuries, we can customize their training. Contact Coach Barb for more information: [email protected]. 

See you at the gym!

-OG

Thursday February 6, 2025 Workout

For Reps:
1 minute of double-unders
1 minute of alternating single-leg squats
1 minute of hang clean and jerks
2 minutes of double-unders
2 minutes of alternating single-leg squats
2 minutes of hang clean and jerks
3 minutes of double-unders
3 minutes of alternating single-leg squats
3 minutes of hang clean and jerks

♀ 95 lb
♂ 135 lb