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The World Cup is underway. I am fascinated by the divide between those who watch this international sporting sensation and those who, like me, are pretty much oblivious. Although I played soccer as a child until I was 16, I really knew nothing about it as a spectator sport. I had some vague knowledge that it was popular in many other parts of the world but I couldn’t even keep up with the big three in Cleveland: football, baseball and basketball. So the idea of taking on another sport to watch was never particularly appealing. Now I am married to someone who loves to watch every minute of every game. So yesterday we went to a local movie theater to watch the USA vs. England game and I have to say that it was actually a lot of fun to watch with a vocal, passionate group of fans (including the few, rowdy English fans). I’m starting to get the attraction. Like the Olympics, it is a fun and healthy way to express national pride. It’s a colorful display of countries throughout the world presenting their best (and sometimes worst) examples of style and sportsmanship. And like March Madness or the lead up to the World Series, it’s fun to pick a favorite few teams and cheer them on throughout the month.
Perhaps most impressive is the shear athleticism of the players. The level of fitness required to play this sport is immense. They must have excellent endurance, stamina, power and coordination. A player will typically cover over 6 miles per game, walking, running and sprinting with a heart rate at 80-90% of their maximum for two 45-minute halves. Injuries are common, especially sprains, strains and fractures in the ankles, knees or hips. Some injuries are simply the result collisions that are inevitable in this fast-paced and aggressive sport. But other injuries such as groin strains, hamstring tears and Achilles tendonitis can be the result of unbalanced muscle groups, poor flexibility, or lack of willingness to rest and recover. There are many physical therapists out there who are knowledgeable and skilled at helping players to sort out these issues and to recover from such injuries. But of course, I would advocate yoga as a means to prevent those injuries from occurring in the first place. By improving body awareness and flexibility, and by practicing methods of deep relaxation, overuse injuries will be less likely to occur. One team that has taken this to heart is the men’s soccer team at Dartmouth. Also, Manchester United’s Roy Keane has touted the benefits of yoga. Later this week, I’ll post some ideas about some yoga postures that are particularly useful for soccer players.
Lisa Minn is a licensed physical therapist and yoga enthusiast. She has been incorporating aspects of Yoga and Pilates into her physical therapy practice since 2001 and became a certified yoga instructor in 2004. Her experience ranges from working with athletes at West Point and Georgetown to instructing elderly and wheelchair-bound clients in the fundamentals of Hatha Yoga. Lisa has conducted several lectures and workshops across the US, as well as in Honduras and Peru, where she volunteered her services. She currently resides and practices in Northern California. This and other articles by Lisa can be found at The Pragmatic Yogi.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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