Post Injury Muscle Injury: 201

Sorry, for being a week late.  I didn't realize I forgot to post this last week.  Please refer to Post Injury Muscle Injury: 101 before you read this or it may not make sense.

We are going to get into some movement/exercises that I have found that work well with turning on certain muscles that have been inhibited from injury.

Neck:  Lie on a flat surface.  Create a double chin.  This is a whole head translation backwards.  This is not a chin tuck.  You may need to first practice in a mirror, just to learn to create the double chin.  Then after the double chin your going to hold that position while pushing your head into the flat surface.  You should feel this in the deep front part of your neck.  Hold for 8 seconds.  Rest for 10 seconds.  Repeat 10x.

Shoulder:  Grab something heavy in both hands.  I suggest some dumbells.  Retract your shoulders so that they are down and back.  Just think proud chest with good posture.  You're going to squeeze the dumbells as hard as you can.  Walk for 8 seconds.  No arm swing.  Shoulder blades are always down and back.  This is irradiation at work that will help with turning on the rotator cuff muscles.

Low back:  I'm going to save the low back for a separate post.  You will be doing the Good Morning Exercise as an Isometric.

Knee:  This is one of the few that isn't an isometric.  Loop a band or theratubing around your knee with the tension in front.  Stand facing the band.  Knee bent on the balls of your foot.  Push the heel into the ground and squeeze the quad as hard as you can for 8 seconds.  Repeat 10x.

Ankle:  Stand on a one inch block where the lateral foot is supported, but the big toe is not.  Bend the knee just slightly.  Hold for as long as you can.

As you can see from these exercises I really like isometrics as the main movement after tissue work has been done.  Remove the adhesion/blockage.  Use isometric to regain some of the strength.  Next week I'll go over the concentric/eccentric exercises I like for these muscles.