Some examples of stretching for soccer are toe touches, knee lifts, and sitting stretches. To do toe touches, first you bend at your waist then touch your ankles. Count to 5 or 10 while touching your ankles, tops of your feet, then your toes. To do a knee lift stand straight and lift your knee to your chest. Then count to 5 or 10 and let go of your knee. Sitting stretches are not hard. First sit down and put your legs out in front of you. Next lean forward and extend your arms as far as possible. Make sure you always stretch before a practice or game.
Many soccer players get knee injuries. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most serious knee injury an athlete can have. The leg bones are held together at the knee joint with ligaments. This makes the knee joint unstable. With rest a minor ACL tear can heal on its own. To fix a complete tear you have to have surgery and physical therapy. One way ACL injuries are caused is by an athlete doing cutting and pivoting motions during a game. Another way to injure your knee is by hyperextending it instead of keeping it slightly bent when you land on it. Your cleats can also cause you to injure your knee. They grab the ground and anchor your foot. This makes it easier to twist your knee. Some advice from sports medicine doctors is always stretch and warm up before a game or practice and keep in shape all year not just during soccer season.
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