Squash is an intense sport that utilizes every part of your body to maintain balance and control the ball, burning tons of calories while building endurance and muscle strength.
There is an array of squash and flexibility exercises available, with conflicting advice about when and how they should be performed.
Stretch Your Neck
As players of squash are frequently using their neck muscles, any improper stretching could potentially tighten and cause discomfort. To help prevent future neck injuries and pain, try these easy stretches.
Neck flexion exercises stretch the muscles in your upper back and neck, aiding with your posture and ability to maintain a straight head posture. They can also aid with turning to either side when turning your head. While some flexion stretches may feel awkward at first, remember not to push too far through them – you should only feel a stretch in your neck and shoulders without pain or pressure in your head.
To stretch your neck, stand upright with good posture and clasp one hand below each ear. Use the other hand to gently push back against each ear while pulling up on your neck – hold this position for 20-30 seconds while breathing deeply, before gradually releasing both hands and repeat on the opposite side of your neck.
Levator Scapular Stretch is another straightforward neck stretching exercise. To perform it, sit up tall with proper posture and clasp the bottom of your seat with both hands before slowly turning your chin to one side until a slight stretch can be felt on the opposite side of your neck. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds while breathing deeply, before gently transitioning out of it gradually and carefully.
Neck rotation is another excellent stretch that can help increase neck and shoulder flexibility. While sitting or standing, tilt your head toward your right shoulder and apply gentle pressure until a stretch is felt on that side of your neck and shoulder. Repeat on the other side.
Stretch your neck while watching television or talking on the phone by placing one hand behind your neck and slowly rotating it towards its center while keeping all other parts of your body motionless. Repeat on each side and try doing this exercise twice every day.
Stretch Your Shoulders
Shoulder muscles are crucial in squash and must remain flexible so as to allow for swift movements of the arms. Stretching them regularly is one way of doing this. One of the best stretches is holding your hand out in front of you and slowly rotating it in a circle, allowing your shoulder joint to go through its full range of movement. Repeat 3-5 times on each side. Holding your hand behind you with elbow against wall can also provide an effective shoulder stretch. Push forward on shoulder, stretching rotator cuff muscles similar to an arm wrestle, stretching the tendons in your shoulder as well as strengthening its muscle. This stretch will increase range of motion as well as increase muscle strength.
Pulling your arm across your chest using the opposite hand (Below Left) is another effective way of stretching back of shoulder muscles, stretching teres minor and rotator cuff muscles for improved shoulder health and injury prevention among squash players.
Other effective shoulder stretches involve bringing the arm forward with elbow bent, then bringing it down towards the floor while pushing with wrist against floor with wrist against floor – this provides a stretch for the scapular stabilising muscles of your shoulder that should be done once per session.
There are various stretches that can help improve shoulder flexibility, but any new exercises should be introduced gradually and correctly to avoid injury to your shoulders. When performed too quickly without instruction from an instructor, these stretches could potentially result in damage.
Before stretching muscles, it is recommended to warm them up first by engaging in static stretches that do not involve any movement. Jogging on the spot or jumping up and down for two minutes will increase blood flow around muscles that you will be stretching in order to protect them from becoming injured as you perform these stretches.
Stretch Your Wrists
For anyone hoping to play squash, being able to handle the intense demands placed upon their wrists is key. Proper stretching of wrists will help avoid injury and ensure you have sufficient flexibility required to enjoy this sport. There are a number of exercises designed specifically to strengthen and stretch wrists – performing these stretches regularly will not only prevent injury but also increase performance on court.
Step one metre apart with your feet together and bend your front knee so that the ball of that leg supports you. Do this slowly and carefully; if pain or discomfort occurs, stop immediately and find another position; don’t push too far as this may result in injury.
Stand or sit with palms facing each other in front of you and slowly move your wrists in a circular motion – left first then right – then add resistance by clenching and unclenching fists as part of this exercise. Weights can also add an extra challenge.
Stretching is an intricate and multifaceted subject. There is much debate and research conducted regarding its benefits; however, a clearer picture is beginning to form of its effect on muscle strength and flexibility.
An effective warm up is absolutely essential before engaging in any physical activity, as it will loosen joints and ligaments while simultaneously increasing heart rate slightly – all crucial steps that help protect you against injury by decreasing chances of muscles becoming cold or tight.
For maximum effectiveness, follow a stretching program designed specifically to target the muscles you wish to warm up. Our free online program is an excellent place to begin; it includes a complete stretching routine designed to get your body ready for squash.
Stretch Your Forearms
Stretching is a proven way to increase range of motion and decrease injury risk, but only when done properly. A good mix of dynamic and static exercises as well as different stretching routines should be implemented for maximum benefit.
Dynamic stretching should be part of every warm-up routine to prepare muscles for rapid elongation during exercise, while static stretching is more beneficial as part of your cool down routine to help reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Flexibility training should not be treated as one-size-fits-all; each person needs to find what works for themselves. Factors that influence this are your type of movement most commonly performed, your intensity level when playing and the natural flexibility of their body.
To determine your body’s natural flexibility, the sit and reach test is a simple yet straightforward approach. All you need is a chair where you can sit with back straight and feet flat on ground – then stretch forward with arm/hand trying to touch ground as held for two seconds then repeat. Measure distance between wrist/elbow to determine how flexible forearms are.
Bending forward and backward is another effective way to stretch wrists. To do this, place your forearm on a table or other surface and allow wrists and fingers to dangle over the edge (use a towel as padding under your arm to ensure no ligament damage occurs). Slowly move hand backward and forward until feeling moderate stretch in wrists – repeat several times then do same thing with right wrist.
Squash can be an extremely physically and mentally taxing sport, requiring both mental and physical endurance in order to play at a high level. One effective way of developing both is through lunge toe touches – an exercise designed to strengthen both hip flexors and glute muscles that play key roles in squash’s explosive lateral movements.