Bobsledding was first introduced on the world stage in 1924, in Chamonix, France.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of the few mountain competitions that are held over a two day period. \u00a0Each run is timed from the top of the course to the finish line, with the athletes pushing the sled from a dead stop to begin the run.\u00a0 The team gets two runs per day, with each run timed and combined for an overall time.\u00a0 The wining team is the one with the lowest time.\u00a0The start of the run is extremely important, and though the athletes make it look fairly simple, it takes extraordinary leg strength, flexibility and agility to get the bobsled to move forward as quickly and as fast as possible.\u00a0 Amazingly, the sled can be moving at over 25 mph when the athletes jump in!<\/p>\n
Darrin Stelle, CEO of the U.S. Olympic Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, noted that explosive power training in the legs is the core of how bobsled athletes prepare for competitions.\u00a0Capable of speeds up to 100mph with turns repeatedly generating 5 times the force of gravity on the crew, the crashes in the sport can be quite spectacular and very dangerous.\u00a0 Surprisingly, the vast majority of injuries occur at the start, the most common being hamstring pulls.<\/p>\n
We asked James Banish, Wellness Director and Personal Trainer at ATI Hamburg, MI, why hamstring injuries are common among athletes.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people just aren\u2019t aware that the hamstring muscle is just as important, if not more so, than the quadriceps (quads are the largest muscle on the body located on the front of the leg). \u201c said James.\u00a0 \u201cMost athletes focus on the strength and power that the quadriceps provide but neglect the hamstring, not realizing it is just as important. The hamstring stabilizes the leg and knee, and provides the mobility required to maximize the strength of the quadriceps- they work together, not in isolation from each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving a weak hamstring compared to a strong quad is kind of like having a loose timing belt in a powerful engine; there is a lot of horsepower happening, but nothing is working the way it should!\u00a0 Too much strength in the leg, and not enough flexibility is usually the result of a hamstring pull. Ideally the hamstring is about 80% as strong as the quad, with flexibility enough to do straight leg deadlifts without significant strain. It requires patience, but it\u2019s very important to stretch the hamstrings for at least 20 seconds before any work out or strenuous activity.\u201d<\/p>\n
While most of us will not be careening down a bobsled course anytime soon, a 20 second stretch on each leg can do wonders for everyday activities.\u00a0 Have a set of stairs at work or home that presents a bit of a challenge?\u00a0 Got some tight shoulders? Try this and see what a difference it makes!<\/p>\n
Bobsledding was first introduced on the world stage in 1924, in Chamonix, France.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of the few mountain competitions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n