Athletes and parents of young athletes all want the same outcome: staying healthy, confident, and on the field for the entire season. At Cohen Health and Performance, our sports physical therapy team works with athletes every day who are trying to balance school, practices, games, and multiple teams, all while avoiding injury.
One of our physical therapists at our McLean location, Dr. Samuel Kinney, recently shared a simple and practical strategy based on his experience as both a former college soccer player and a sports physical therapist. While his examples come from soccer, these principles apply to all field- and court-based sports, including basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, football, and more.
Why Many Athletes Skip Strength Training
Most athletes already perform a decent warm-up. This usually includes jogging, sport-specific drills, and dynamic stretching. While this prepares the body to move, it often does not address strength deficits that contribute to common injuries.
The challenge is time. Between school, work, practices, games, and travel, many athletes do not have the capacity to strength train multiple days per week. As a result, strength training is often skipped entirely, increasing injury risk over the course of a season.
A More Effective Warm-Up Strategy
A practical solution used frequently in sports physical therapy is to build small amounts of strength training directly into the warm-up. Adding just 10 minutes before practice or games does not replace full strength training, but it significantly improves consistency and injury risk reduction.
This approach is especially effective for reducing overuse injuries and serious knee injuries that commonly bring athletes into sports physical therapy clinics.
Common Injuries We See in Sports Physical Therapy
Across soccer and other field- and court-based sports, three injuries consistently appear:
- Groin strains
- Hamstring strains
- ACL tears
Below are three simple exercises commonly used in sports physical therapy and ACL physical therapy programs that can be added directly into a team warm-up.
Groin Injury Risk Reduction
Groin muscles play a major role in lateral movement, cutting, and stabilizing the plant leg during kicking and change of direction. Groin strains are common when strength and control are lacking.
Exercise: Copenhagen Plank
This exercise strengthens the groin muscles and their attachment points.
It can be performed using a bench or bleacher with padding under the knee, or with a teammate supporting the top leg.
Recommended dosage is 2 sets of 15 to 30 seconds. Athletes should start with the short-lever version. Once they can confidently complete 2 sets of 30 seconds, they can progress to the long-lever version and reduce time back to 15 seconds.
ACL Injury Risk Reduction and ACL Physical Therapy Principles
The ACL plays a critical role in knee stability during cutting, pivoting, and landing. ACL tears are among the most serious injuries we treat in sports physical therapy, often requiring surgery and 9 to 12 months of rehabilitation.
One of the primary goals of ACL physical therapy is improving strength and control around the knee, particularly through the quadriceps and hip musculature.
Exercise: Split Squat Isometric Hold
Athletes hold the bottom position of a split squat, focusing on knee alignment and control.
Perform 2 sets of 20 to 30 seconds per side.
This type of isometric exercise is commonly used in both ACL injury prevention programs and post-operative ACL physical therapy to improve knee stability.
Hamstring Injury Risk Reduction
Hamstring strains frequently occur during sprinting and rapid acceleration. Strong hamstrings also contribute to knee stability and play a role in reducing ACL injury risk.
Exercise: Elevated Hamstring Bridge
Athletes begin with both feet on a bench or bleacher.
Perform 2 sets of 20 to 30 seconds, then progress to a single-leg variation when ready.
This exercise is commonly prescribed in sports physical therapy to improve posterior chain strength and protect both the hamstrings and knees.
Why This Matters for Athletes and Parents
A consistent warm-up that includes even a small amount of strength work can meaningfully reduce injury risk. These exercises do not require additional training days, specialized equipment, or long workouts. They help athletes stay healthier, miss fewer games, and build a stronger long-term relationship with their sport.
How Sports Physical Therapy Can Help
If you or your athlete is dealing with a sports-related injury, recovering from an ACL injury, or wants to be proactive about injury prevention, our sports physical therapy team is here to help.
At Cohen Health and Performance, we specialize in sports physical therapy and ACL physical therapy for athletes of all levels. We create individualized, sport-specific plans to help athletes return to play safely and perform at their best.
Schedule an evaluation with a member of our team to receive a clear, personalized plan built around your athlete’s goals.
