Rib stress fractures are a common sports injury when playing or training for basketball, but can be prevented with the right stretching routine, nutrition program and specific exercises. When you build strength in your core muscle groups such as the chest, upper arms and abdominal muscles, you can reduce your risk of injury and lower the chances of enduring rib stress fractures from overtraining.
Instructions
1. Increase upper body strength with floor push ups. Push ups are a valuable strength building exercise for your arms and torso, and can help reduce your risk of injury during a game or training period. Do a series of push ups during your training segment to make sure your muscles stay strong and taut for use.
2. Stabilize arm muscles with hand weights. Upper arm stabilization exercises are a great way to increase strength in your upper arms--your biceps and triceps--and you can also strengthen the chest and rib cage as a result. Do a series of resistance exercises using dumbbells to increase the range of motion in your upper body and reduce your risk of injury.
3. Increase chest strength with an overhead press. Overhead press exercises can help increase muscle in your upper arms, upper back and abdominal muscles. This can also prevent a rib stress fracture and improve strength and coordination overall.
4. Stretch your upper body muscles regularly. Make sure you stretch your torso, arm muscles and chest on a regular basis to reduce your risk of injury. Resistance bands and light dumbbells can help with your stretching routine.
5. Get enough rest. Avoid muscle overuse injuries by making sure you get enough rest between workouts and games. Overuse of chest and abdominal muscles can be the precursor to rib stress fractures.
Tags: reduce your, reduce your risk, risk injury, your risk, your risk injury