The long-awaited Tokyo Summer Olympics are less than two months away, which means Olympic athletes are well into their rigorous training programs.
From historic games and sporting favorites like swimming and tennis to the new additions of baseball/softball, surfing, skateboarding, and karate – millions of people will tune in to watch medals won and records shattered. Here’s a look at a few of our favorite resistance-friendly Olympic sports.
Swimming
Swimmers of all levels have similar goals, focusing on building strength, finding efficient movements and increasing speed. Both dryland and in-water resistance programs help to build strength and stamina in the entire body. For example, pulling motions (using paddles for added resistance) can build upper body strength, while combining strength with mobility can increase speed. According to an article in Team USA- Triathletes, stretch cord training helps you to maintain swim-specific strength and efficiency while strengthening and conditioning muscle groups and mimicking freestyle movements.
Baseball/Softball
Arm strength, core, and shoulder exercises are a priority for keeping pitchers healthy. “Pitching speed is directly proportional with arm speed, rather than the strength of isolated muscles like your biceps or triceps. That means pitchers should focus on ‘pillar strength’—the area between your shoulders and hips—by doing shoulder stability exercises, lower body strength work, and propulsive exercises to increase rotational power.” (Men’s Journal) Try using the Cuff Tuff to strengthen and protect the shoulder rotator cuff with internal and external rotation exercises.
Tennis
Tennis might not be top of mind when you think of athletes who strength train, but from an agility and quick-reaction perspective, tennis may be among the sports that require the most focus and ability to move quickly. Injuries can also be common in tennis, from wrist and elbow injuries to back or other spinal injuries. Resistance-based agility drills allow athletes to practice changing direction and shifting their weight, without injury or too much lag time. When it’s time for a match, these motions demand less of the body because of the lack of resistance. Check out this article for 3 moves that 4-time Olympic medal winner Serena Williams swears by and you can try with our TurfCordz@ with Handles.
No matter the sport or level of competition stretching is an important part of maintaining muscle health, flexibility and injury prevention. Try using our Stretch & Mobility Strap to take your stretch a little bit further, or access a range of motion that you can’t find on your own.
