Ways To Avoid An ACL Tear

Many people go through anterior cruciate ligament or ACL tear year after year. Individuals who are active in sports might have experienced such a knee injury. This kind of injury generally occurs to people who enjoy playing basketball, soccer and other physical sports that involve twisting and jumping. Actually, this is amongst the injuries that athletes wish to avoid as this could lead to an end in their careers.This specific ligament controls the movement of the tibia and is located at the middle of the knee. An abrupt movement or twisting of the knee can easily tear or strain the ACL. This injury generally takes place when an athlete changes direction suddenly or when doing landing jumps. This injury is significantly affected by the positioning of the pelvis. That is why women tend to be more at risk of an ACL strain or tear simply because they have bigger hips. For example, female athletes are much more likely to have an ACL injury than male athletes.Luckily, there are many ways that you can keep yourself from having to deal with an ACL injury. Here are several ways to help prevent an ACL tear.• FlexibilityYou have to do regular stretches. These workouts may help your muscles perform better so you're able to avoid strain. Stretching ought to be done before and after actively playing sports. There are also exercises such as yoga and pilates that can significantly help the muscle in becoming more flexible.• StrengthIf you have strong muscles, you are able to guard yourself from having a ligament strain. You may do it by lifting weights twice or thrice a week. Whenever you do this exercise, focus more on the abdomen, thigh and hip areas. This would enable you to have solid leg muscles to strengthen the knees and make them more steady.• ConditioningAs people get older, their bones get weaker hence they only play sports from time to time. If you like playing sports despite your age, just be sure you have regular training exercises to condition your body. You need to practice plyometrics and drills to build up your strength, balance and agility. If your body is conditioned, you'll unlikely experience injury.• SupportIf you have previously suffered a knee injury, you are more likely to experience it again. In order to continue playing sports and get away from future injuries, you have to provide extra support to your knee or make use of a knee brace when doing physical activities.• WeightGaining weight can certainly be a contributing factor to an ACL tear especially if extra fat is stored in the belly area. This will put a strain to your knees therefore making you susceptible to a knee injury. So, it is very important to maintain a well balanced diet to maintain your weight.