You are in Our Partners . I HealthSouth I Medtronic Conditioning Is Key to Preventing Baseball Injuries By Chuck Chandler HealthSouth Information Center Coaches across the country are holding their breath as baseball gets under way, hoping their players can make it through the season injury free.
Proper technique comes through good coaching and motivated study by the athlete.
Conditioning, however, must also be approached with the same motivation the player has in mid-season, says Andrews. Muscles, tendons, bones, and ligaments are jeopardized by lack of conditioning, which contributes to inconsistency, as well as poor performance on the field. In the past, many athletes halted their hard workouts with the final out of the season, then renewed their exercise routines about a month before the first pitch was thrown the next year. A good conditioning program must include more than strength training. Athletes should also work on flexibility, speed, power, endurance, agility, and coordination, while closely watching their diet and attitude, Andrews says.