I remember when I coached how sore I would be afterwards. Long hours, weird positions, uneven surfaces, moving mats and equipment, repetitive spotting on one side, saving the athlete that bachs in the middle of a skill… All of these things contribute to back pain in gymnastic coaches. Taking time to take care of your body will help you be a more successful coach. Staying healthy, strong, and flexible will help you complete the required job duties and still have energy left over to go home to your family or home life. It has been proven that with proper body mechanics less energy is expended thus saving energy for the end of the day.
5 simple things to prevent Low back pain
1) Core: There are lots of ways to work the core. Here are just a few.
Planks forward
Side planks
phase 1
phase 2
Upper Abdominal Curls
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Lower abdominals
Obliques
2) Hip strength:
Clams
Prone Knee Bend Lifts
Lunges
3)Stretching:
Hip flexor stretch
Quad Stretch
Hamstring stretch
*only as lean as far as you can with a straight back.
Calf Stretch
4) Cardio:(Interval training)
3 days a week. 15-20 min total workout time. Sprint 30 seconds with recovery 2 minutes. Repeat for 15-20 min
5)Good spotting Technique
Get as close to the gymnast as possible.
Keep arms close into the body, not out stretched.
Bend at the knees and hips, not from the back
