Laird Harrison

Tag: sports injuries

  • Balance Training Reduces Ankle Injury

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    LairdH
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    Knee injuries may grab the headlines more than any other type of athletic injury, perhaps because they can end an athlete’s career. But ankles get hurt more often, and these injuries can be pretty devastating, too. Many of the same exercises that we’ve discussed for knee injury prevention can help protect ankles as well. But…

  • Does Soccer Heading Cause Brain Damage?

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    As a soccer coach, I’ve often yelled at my players to head the ball before it reaches the ground. And anyone who has watched the World Cup this year knows what a beautiful role heading plays in the game, with Robin van Persie’s goal in the Netherlands vs. Spain game a prime example. But given…

  • How Soccer Players Should Build Muscles

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    “Can’t I get in shape for soccer just by playing more soccer?” my son asked me recently. It’s a natural assumption. After all, your body does adapt to whatever activity you do. But the answer is “no.” Think about it. Professionals — the people who play soccer the most — still get hurt doing it.…

  • How to Prevent Knee Injuries in Soccer

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    It almost seems if you play soccer long enough, you will hurt a knee. A lot of players will be missing from the World Cup this year for that reason: Colombia’s star striker Radamel Facao, midfielder Kevin Strootman of the Netherlands, Ecuador’s Segundo Castillo, Germany’s Holger Badstuber and England’sTheo Walcott,  to name a few.

  • Despite that Army Study, I Still Like Barefoot Running

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    Irene Davis took off her sandal for me last week. She wriggled her toes. We were in the press room of the American College of Sports Medicine, and she wanted to show me a “doming” exercise you can use to prevent injuries if you run barefoot. A Doming Video by Richard Blake Researchers like Davis,…

  • Which Is Better? TRX vs. Weightlifting

    Which Is Better? TRX vs. Weightlifting

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    TRX vs. weightlifting: which is better? I came here to the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual meeting hoping to get answers to such questions. This is the premiere wonkfest for exercise experts, and I wasn’t disappointed.

  • Are Sports Doctors Sexist?

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    When I started to write about sports injuries, I envisioned my reader as someone like me: a former college athlete, middle-aged and, well, male. But women immediately started telling me how much they care about the subject. A bookstore owner talked about injuries on her softball team. A literary agent told me upper body training…