EXTRA TIPS & TRICKS
Talk to your coach, your family, your physician!Having your support network on your side is important to achieving success with any intervention (24). Talk to your coach, family, friends, and medical professional about what you are going through. Ensure their support of your chosen intervention and their help in maintaining a positive attitude. You can also ask your coach to post the MCE Handout in the gym so everyone can incorporate these exercises into their conditioning routines.
StretchFor aesthetic athletes completing MCE, it is especially important to thoroughly stretch before exercising to increase the balance between the muscles of the upper core and pelvic floor (53). Also, be wary of exercising within an hour of waking, when the ligaments and intervertebral discs experience 80 and 300% higher stresses (1, 84).
Cross-trainConsider combining MCE with spinal manipulative therapy and general exercise. The body will sacrifice spinal stability for breathing, so it is important that aesthetic athletes maintain high aerobic fitness during their activities (62, 71). Spinal manipulative therapy can complement MCE and decrease short-term pain (5, 63) and general exercise can enhance the effects of motor control exercise (15, 52).
Practice good formGood form is crucial to protecting your back. Make sure that you can perform skills safely before progressing. In the gym, use safety equipment like Sting Mats and foam pits to decrease impact loads during practice (14).
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Listen to your bodyPlaying through pain is not always good; learn to differentiate between “good” and “bad” pain. Good pain results from constructively pushing your body, is short-lived, goes away with rest, and does not interfere with daily activities, like walking or sleeping (61). Bad pain is generally any pain that is constant or increasing over time, does not improve with treatment, wakes you up during rest, or is associated with nerve damage numbness or tingling (61). Bad pain is associated with the failure or tendons, ligaments, cartilage, bones, or excessive muscle damage (61).
Beware of Female Athlete TriadFemale Athlete Triad is a serious condition where there is a problem with at least one of interrelated spectrums of:
For more information, see the Nemour Foundation and Female Athlete Triad Coalition's websites. |
You can print out most of the information available on the website.
Share evidence with your loved ones and keep the MCE handout handy!
Share evidence with your loved ones and keep the MCE handout handy!
Exercise Handouts
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Accompanying Thesis
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Website Content
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