Think about it: Your team is flying along a game-winning streak, when you suddenly feel a sharp pain in your shoulder or elbow. How do you ensure that you take care of the problem as quickly as possible, so you can get back on the baseball field?
Luckily, there are many types of strength-enhancing and mobility-improving exercises that are great for both healing injuries and preventing strains in the first place.
Ready to learn how to stretch your way to a perfect game near Marlton, Whiting, Howell, and Somerset? Well, let’s take a look at this guide to the 4 Best Physical Therapy Exercises for Baseball Players, created by Trinity Rehab.
Best Physical Therapy Exercises for Baseball Players
The best physical therapy exercises for baseball players are ones that combine both flexibility and strength training.
By training your body with this dynamic physical therapy duo, you’ll keep your muscles limber and prepared for anything, all while building up the strength and power needed for a game-clinching home run hit.
Check out some of the most effective physical therapy techniques recommended by our team of state-licensed physical therapists.
Strength & Stamina
Band External Rotation
Fortunately, protecting the muscles and ligaments in your shoulders is as simple as performing routines, like this Band External Rotation. Here’s how to do it:
- Tie or loop one end of your resistance band around a sturdy object, such as a pole, staircase rail, or something that’s roughly the same height as your waist.
- Stand far enough away to make the band taut. Then, position yourself so that the right side of your body is facing the anchor of the resistance band.
- Hold the end of the band with the hand that’s furthest away from where your band is attached.
- Finally, keep your bent elbow close to your body (at a 90-degree angle) as you move your lower arm away from your body. Perform 15 reps of this movement.
- Repeat the same pattern on your opposite arm, and you’re done!
Prone Planks
Next up on our list of strength-fortifying exercises for baseball players is the Prone Plank. This simple exercise involves only a couple steps, which makes it easy to perform before practice or a big game.
- Start off by lying on your stomach
- Lift yourself off the ground by positioning your elbows under your shoulders and your toes under your heels.
- To increase the effectiveness of this exercise, make sure your body is in a straight line as you hold this pose for thirty seconds to one minute, or longer. That way, your muscles will stay active and engaged throughout the process.
Get to Stretching!
Cross-Body Stretch
After you’ve completed a tough strength-training routine, it’s essential to stretch out those muscles so that they can recover properly. To do exactly that, try out this Cross-Body Stretch by following these steps:
- Lie on the side of your body where you feel your shoulder pain. If you don’t have shoulder pain, just choose the side that you prefer to stretch first.
- Next, bend your knees and position them at a 45-degree angle in front of your body.
- Once you’re comfortable, take your right arm (or whichever arm corresponds with the side you’re lying on), bend your elbow, and stretch your arm back until your right hand hovers over your waist.
- Take your left hand and grasp the back of your right arm, just above your elbow, and carefully pull it across your body for a deeper stretch.
- When you feel a slight pull in your shoulder, hold the position for about 30 seconds and repeat those steps two to three times.
- After you repeat this technique on the other side of your body, you’re ready to play ball!
Arm Circles
Ready to warm up before pitching? Put this Arm Circles stretch to the test!
- Stand up straight with your arms out to your sides, parallel to the ground
- Start by making small, circular motions with your arms, gradually increasing their size
- After you’ve completed a minute of this exercise, do the same movement with your arms but in the opposite direction.
- Once your arms feel loosened up, all you have to do is hop on the pitcher’s mound and throw one of those game-ending curve balls.
Choose Our Baseball Physical Therapy Center!
At Trinity Rehab, we strive to help every athlete get ready for baseball season with plenty of performance-enhancing exercises.
So, if you want to prepare your body with the strength needed to steal bases, look no further than our Doctors of Physical Therapy for assistance.
To boost your abilities on outfields across Marlton, Whiting, Howell, and Somerset, schedule your free screening, make your first appointment, or contact us today!
