10-Minute Sports Physical Therapy Warmup To Stay In The Game

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.

ACL Physical Therapy: How We Determine When It’s Safe to Return to Sport

Guest Post by Dr. Ethan Lennox, ACL Rehabilitation Specialist at Cohen Health and Performance (CHP)

One of the toughest challenges athletes face after ACL surgery is knowing whether they are truly ready to return to play. Getting this wrong can have serious consequences, not only a higher risk of re-tearing the repaired ACL, but also the possibility of injuring the other knee or sustaining a completely new lower body injury.

If you’re an athlete, parent, or coach navigating the ACL recovery process, this guide will walk you through the objective criteria that determine readiness for a safe return.

Why Time Alone Isn’t Enough

A safe return to sport after ACL surgery isn’t about simply waiting 6, 9, or 12 months. At CHP, our ACL physical therapy program goes beyond the calendar. We use specific benchmarks for strength, movement quality, knee health, and confidence.

For athletes in cutting or pivoting sports, we typically recommend at least 9–12 months before full competition, as research shows that early return carries a much higher risk of re-injury. Our goal is not just to “clear” an athlete, but to build a durable return that lasts.

What Really Determines Readiness?

1. Strength

Strength is the foundation of ACL physical therapy. But it’s not just about moving heavy weight in the gym. The question is:

Can the athlete produce strength quickly in the chaos of sport?
Can they tolerate the workload of practices and games?

We focus heavily on restoring quadriceps strength to sport-specific demands, not just symmetry between legs. A common benchmark is ≥ 3.0 Nm/kg of knee-extension torque relative to body weight. Symmetry matters, but hitting an absolute strength threshold is what keeps knees safe during high-speed stops and cuts.

2. Force-Plate Testing

Traditional field tests often miss hidden deficits. At CHP, our ACL physical therapy program uses force-plate technology to analyze how each leg produces and absorbs force during jumps, landings, and change-of-direction tasks. To learn more about our forceplates, check out this link.

We track asymmetry (aiming for ≤10%) and test both when athletes are fresh and fatigued. This helps us individualize rehab, catch weaknesses before they become injuries, and make safer clearance decisions.

3. Movement Quality

Numbers matter, but how an athlete moves under fatigue is just as critical. During ACL rehab, we look for:

Controlled deceleration
Proper knee and hip alignment
Strong trunk stability
Quiet, efficient landings at game speed

By combining movement analysis with force-plate data, we ensure athletes are not just strong on paper—but resilient in real game conditions.

4. Knee Health

A successful ACL recovery also depends on the joint’s response to load. Non-negotiables include:

Full, pain-free range of motion
No swelling or irritation after training
Zero “giving way” episodes

If the knee flares up as we increase intensity, we scale back. Just because the calendar says “9 months” doesn’t mean the knee is ready.

5. Confidence

Physical readiness means little without mental readiness. At CHP, our ACL physical therapy program uses validated questionnaires like the ACL-RSI (Return to Sport after Injury) to track confidence. Scores in the mid-60s or higher, paired with strong physical metrics, usually indicate safe readiness.

We also coach mindset—helping athletes rebuild trust in their body is just as important as rebuilding strength.

Clearance Does Not Mean Full Game Readiness

“Cleared” to return to sport means an athlete can begin practicing. It does not mean they’re ready for full minutes or their pre-injury role. Building back to game-day fitness requires another 6–12+ weeks of gradual progression:

Non-contact practice and controlled drills
Controlled contact with planned rest
Increased intensity and practice density, monitoring workload
Gradual introduction of limited game minutes

This measured progression is how we prevent setbacks and ensure long-term success.

How CHP Puts It All Together

At Cohen Health and Performance, our clearance testing includes:

Strength testing with precise benchmarks
Force-plate assessments for braking and propulsion
Movement quality reviews under fatigue
Knee health evaluation for calm, stable joints
Confidence tracking for mental readiness

From there, we design a stepwise return-to-play plan that gradually increases training load and game minutes while monitoring next-day knee response.

Our philosophy is simple: earn the right to do more, then prove you can repeat it.

If you or your athlete is recovering from ACL surgery, don’t settle for a clearance based only on time or basic hop tests. A true ACL physical therapy program should integrate strength, force-plate data, movement analysis, joint health, and confidence.

At CHP, our ACL specialists are committed to helping athletes not only return safely, but come back stronger than before.

If your athlete is working toward a safe, confident return to sport, our ACL rehabilitation team would love to guide the process. Contact us here.

Why Are ACL Injuries So Common in Female Athletes—and What Can Be Done?

This weekend, I came across an article that caught my eye: “A WNBA Veteran Becomes the Latest Player to Suffer an ACL Tear.” The athlete mentioned was Katie Lou Samuelson of the Seattle Storm—shockingly, the third player on her team to suffer an ACL tear before the WNBA season even begins.

As a physical therapist who works with athletes of all levels, this hit home. ACL injuries are far too common, especially among female athletes. According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine, females are 4 to 8 times more likely to suffer an ACL tear compared to their male counterparts playing the same sport. Even more alarming—over 70% of these injuries are non-contact. That means they’re not the result of a collision, tackle, or fall. They just happen—or so it seems.

But these injuries are not freak accidents. There are clear biomechanical and muscular risk factors that we, as physical therapy professionals, can help address.

Understanding the Risk Factors

One of the most commonly discussed reasons for higher ACL injury rates in females is anatomical structure, particularly the Q-angle—the angle formed by the hip and knee. Due to a generally wider pelvis, many female athletes have a more pronounced Q-angle, which can result in the thighs angling inward (valgus alignment). This creates a greater tendency for the femur to internally rotate and adduct, particularly during high-speed or high-impact movements like jumping, cutting, or landing.

When combined with muscle imbalances, such as strong quadriceps and weak hamstrings or glutes, the risk increases. A poor quadriceps-to-hamstring strength ratio can reduce the knee’s ability to stabilize itself, leaving the ACL vulnerable to tearing under stress.

How Physical Therapy Can Reduce the Risk of ACL Injuries

Preventing ACL injuries is not just about stretching or doing a few leg exercises. A comprehensive physical therapy approach includes:

1. Strengthening the Right Muscles

To protect the knee, we must target the muscles that slow down internal rotation and adduction of the femur—primarily the glutes and deep hip rotators. Strengthening the hamstrings, calves, and core also plays a vital role in protecting the knee joint.

2. Improving Muscle Coordination and Timing

Being strong isn’t enough. Athletes must be able to generate force quickly, particularly during sport-specific movements. That means physical therapy needs to go beyond the weight room.

We bring our athletes to our turf space to practice jumping, landing, cutting, and acceleration drills that simulate real-game scenarios. We analyze landing mechanics and correct faulty movement patterns before they show up on the court or field.

3. Using Data to Guide Programming

Every athlete we work with is evaluated using force plates and other sports technology to understand how their body handles force and movement. This data helps us create a personalized plan to address the specific deficits or imbalances that could lead to an ACL injury.

The Bottom Line: ACL Injury Prevention Starts with Smart Physical Therapy

ACL injuries are devastating. They can take an athlete out of the game for a year or longer. But the good news is—there are things you can do to reduce the risk.

If you are the parent of a female athlete or an athlete yourself and you’re serious about protecting your knees, now is the time to take action. Our ACL prevention programs at Cohen Health and Performance are tailored to each athlete and built on the principles of scientific assessment, personalized physical therapy, and performance training.

📞 Contact us today to schedule an assessment and give yourself the best shot at staying healthy, strong, and on the field.

Why most sports physical therapy for ACL injuries is incomplete

Picture this: Four months ago, you underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in your knee, and you’ve been diligently attending sports physical therapy ever since. Initially, you were on crutches, with a swollen knee that barely moved. But after several weeks of physical therapy, you regained full range of motion and relearned how to walk normally. You’ve even started running again and are eagerly anticipating the day you can return to practice or the activities that make you feel like an athlete!

But then, your physical therapist informs you that you’re being discharged from therapy…

This scenario is common because insurance companies often don’t classify return-to-sport activities as “medically necessary.” As a result, most traditional physical therapy clinics don’t offer return-to-play programs.

I refer to this crucial stage of recovery as “the gap.” The gap represents the period between completing physical therapy and beginning performance or personal training.

Many athletes aren’t actually ready to return to their sport when they’re discharged from physical therapy because they haven’t yet bridged this gap between rehabilitation and peak performance.

At this stage, athletes may be pain-free, have full knee range of motion, and even have regained much of their strength. However, they still need to train their knee to use that strength explosively and withstand the demands of cutting, jumping, and sprinting.

Unfortunately, many athletes skip this vital phase of ACL recovery, returning to their sport before their knee is fully prepared. This significantly increases the risk of re-injuring the repaired ACL or even damaging the other knee.

Programs designed to help athletes bridge this gap typically start with tests to assess how close they are to returning to their sport. These tests often include hops, agility drills, and movements specific to the athlete’s sport.

In our Bridge The Gap ACL program, we begin with the single-leg hop test. Research suggests that the surgically repaired leg should be at least 90% as strong as the unaffected leg before engaging in sport-specific activities. Ideally, both sides should be equal before an athlete resumes full practice.

Below is an example of a single-leg hop test.

Sports physical therapists use the results of these tests to create a tailored training program that combines elements of physical therapy, strength and conditioning, and sports performance.

Research indicates that the earliest an athlete can safely return to play after ACL surgery is around nine months (even longer for younger athletes). For this reason, most bridge-the-gap programs last between 2-4 months.

Interested in learning whether our Bridge the Gap ACL Program is right for you? If you or your child is recovering from an ACL repair, contact us to find out more!

Why the Frequency of ACL Injuries are on the Rise

“Bellamy Knee Injury” by joncandy is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0.

Over the past month, our physical therapy clinic in Bethesda has seen an increase in the number of people recovering from ACL injuries and repairs. Although this is a sign that sports are returning to normal, there are some important things to keep in mind when dealing with an ACL injury.

The ACL, also known as the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, is the tissue found in the knee joint that connects the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia). These ligaments run diagonally in the middle of the knee, controlling the back and forth motion and provide rotational stability.

ACL injuries commonly occur in sports involving sudden movements or changes of direction, such as soccer, football, or basketball. The anterior cruciate ligament can be injured in several ways, including:

Rapid changes in direction
Sudden stopping movements
Slowing down while running
Incorrect landing from jumping
Direct collision or contact, such as a tackle in football.

Depending on the severity of the ACL injury, treatment can include rest and rehabilitation exercises to regain stability and strength. In severe cases, surgery may be required to replace the torn ligament.

According to Mike Reinold, a leading physical therapist, there are a few important steps to take after surgery:

Diminish pain and swelling after surgery using compression wraps, ice, and compression machines.
Restore full knee extension through a variety of range of motion and stretching exercises.
Gradually improve knee flexion with further stretching and functional movements such as mini-squats and lunges.
Maintain patellar mobility with soft tissue mobilization around the knee.
Restore volitional quad control using neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on the quad following the ACL surgery.
Restore independent ambulation by improving the ability to walk without limitations or a limp.

Although ACL injuries are impossible to avoid, a proper training program can help to reduce the risk of an ACL injury. If an injury does occur, our performance training and physical therapy clinic in Bethesda will get you back to normal in no time!