Return to Sports Training

What is Return to Sports?

Return to sport refers to a multifactorial process of returning to your sport at the same or better level of performance prior to the injury. This is especially important if you’re returning from a major injury or surgery. The process of returning to sport is not as straightforward as starting to play soccer 3 months after your ACL reconstruction surgery, for example.

Much thought, work, and trial-an-error on what is suitable for you and what your body is able to cope with will determine the process and success of your eventual return to sport. Returning to sport is hard work and shouldn’t be taken lightly. It involves, being engaged at each session and putting in the hard work between your therapy sessions so that you will be able to benefit from and progress in each session.

Return to sport builds on what your Physiotherapist, has already addressed for you in terms of any problem areas. Thereafter, you will be pushed to your limit, while respecting and considering the injury or surgery you’re recovering from and how we are able to reduce the risk of a re-injury and yet help you gain confidence in returning to the sport that you love.

Who needs to return to sports training?

The return to sport does not only apply to competitive athletes but also to anyone who wishes to return to their daily sporting activities or to improve their overall physical well-being and performance after injury.

Return to sports training is essential for a spectrum of people. If you’re recovering from an ankle sprain or learning to walk and potentially walk after a major surgery (and anyone in between!) and you’re keen to return to your sport, you’re eligible for the return to sports training.

If you’re keen on returning to soccer after an ankle sprain, basketball after a shoulder dislocation, or rugby after an ACL reconstruction, return to sports training is something that you need to consider. Do not attempt to return to sports without having gone through any return to sports training. You will increase the risk of re-injury.

Why is the return to sports training important?

It is extremely important for everyone returning from injury to have an appropriate Return to Sports Training. Sporting too soon without proper rehabilitation and conditioning could increase your risk of re-injury and delay your return.

Return to sports training includes drills and conditioning activities that are specific to your sport. If you play volleyball, the physical demands would be quite different from another who plays rugby who will be different from another who is keen to return to dancing. Therefore, an understanding of the sport is vital to a successful return to sport.

Return to sports training includes but is not limited to, strengthening, and plyometrics i.e. jumping, landing, agility, coordination, balance, reaction time, etc. It will differ vastly based on the sport that you’re keen to return to.

What are some factors to consider when returning to sport?

For you to be able to return to your specific sport, it is recommended that you be proficient in these aspects.

Joint Range of Motion & Flexibility

It is the ability of a joint or a series of joints to go through its complete spectrum of movements. An injury or recovery from surgery may result in a reduction in range of motion and flexibility. As a result, the joints’ range of motion would be reduced, which would affect & change the person’s movement pattern. Flexibility and range of motion can contribute to good balance, allow you to perform movements without restriction, and reduce the risk of injury. To prevent a reduction in range of motion, mobility exercises and stretching are crucial. Various stretching techniques could be used, such as:

• Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation
• Ballistic stretches
• Static stretches

Strength and Endurance

Musculoskeletal injuries may cause significant skeletal muscle deterioration and will have a negative impact on an individual’s cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. Why is strength important? Building strength of the structures such as the ligaments, tendons, and muscles around the affected body part will aid in supporting and taking the load and pressure off the injury during recovery. This is important for all sports and daily activities. Having a lack of muscular strength causes higher fatigue and the ability to stabilize the joints is reduced which will alter movement patterns and will put stress on parts of the body that are not used to the movements, which increases the chances of getting injured. What are some ways to improve your strength?

• Machine-based exercises
• Free-weight exercises
• Banded exercises
• Bodyweight exercises

Endurance, whether muscular or cardiorespiratory, is extremely important, especially in endurance sports. For example, long-distance running or cycling is also important in sports such as football and rugby which involve repeated bursts of exercise (called interval exercise). Individuals with lower levels of muscular or cardiorespiratory endurance are more susceptible to injury due to muscular compensation and altered movement patterns caused by fatigue. Having good endurance is important for you as this will reduce fatigue and allow you to perform at your optimal performance and reduce compensation. What are some ways to improve your endurance? Exercises that involve low impact can help to improve your endurance without re-aggravating your injuries, these could include, but are not limited to:

• Stationary cycling
• Swimming
• Walking
• Running

Remember, the type of endurance exercise will need to resemble your sport as closely as possible.