A strong spine is the basis for a person who practices sports

14 January 2020

Good coordination and appropriate body balance is essential in sport, especially in football. Properly developed and flexible lower limb muscles are not enough to play football safely. Footballers must ensure they have strong torso muscles and a strong and stable lumbar spine.

The lumbar-pelvic-iliac complex is the foundation of our body, and every movement begins with the activation of stabilizing muscles. If the stability of our body – so-called core stability – is disturbed, muscular imbalance is aggravated and overloading may occur, especially within lumbar spine region.

Let’s analyze the situation straight from the football field: during a shot, the player asymmetrically loads lower limbs, which causes high rotational forces within the lower parts of spine. When a player has disturbed central stability, his capabilities are limited – a shot on goal may be off target and maximum impact strength unattainable.

If the spine is unstable, there may be chronic pain in the lumbar spine, knee joints, problems with Achilles tendon, and groin overload. Players are then exposed to sciatic-tibial muscle strains and more susceptible to ligament injuries – emphasizes Mateusz Jenda, motor preparation trainer from the Carolina Medical Center.

Exercises for central stabilization maximally involve all muscles in the human body. They are usually overlooked in football training, despite the fact that they are crucial – they provide the right balance, reduce pain and protect against injury.

You can download a brochure with exercises [English version]: