Exercises reduce injury risk among female players
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Article summary
A University of Linköping study has found that girls who perform an exercise programme designed to improve strength and balance can greatly reduce their risk of sustaining a knee injury.
Article top media content
Article body
A simple exercise programme greatly reduces the risk of serious knee injuries among young female footballers, a study by the University of Linköping has concluded.
The study, which followed more than 4,500 young players from 341 teams over a 12-month period, found that the group that performed the scheduled exercises every week had less than half the number of knee injuries sustained by the other control group.
The Swedish Football Association (SvFF) initiated the project in 2008. According to research, a young female player is more than three times more likely to suffer a serious knee injury than her male counterpart.
The study also aims to educate coaches, physiotherapists, parents and players about how to prevent injuries among female players from the age of 12 upwards. The exercises are designed specifically to improve strength, landing technique, balance and coordination.
Annica Näsmark, one of the SvFF physiotherapists responsible for the project, said: "We recommend teams perform these exercises in their regular training sessions, during warm-ups. They take ten to 15 minutes and, if correctly performed, teach the girls a pattern of movement that is now proven to reduce the risk of injury."
