You might not think bowling is a sport that carries a high risk of injury, as it’s not a contact sport like football or hockey and doesn’t require you to contort your body or deal with high-impact exercise like basketball. Still, there is a lot of effort that gets exerted by certain muscles while bowling, especially when you consider the number of times you’ll roll a heavy ball over the course of a few games.
Therefore, with bowling (as with any other physical activity), it can be beneficial to budget some time before you get started to loosen up your muscles and get warmed up before you begin. This can help you to avoid some common bowling injuries.
Here’s some information about how you can warm up for your next game in our bowling league in Hampton, VA.
Preventing bowling injuries
Some of the most common bowling injuries include shoulder pain, lower back pain, sprained thumbs, pain in the neck and pulled hamstrings. Therefore, the activities you perform to help you warm up for a round of bowling should include stretches and warm ups that target those parts of the body.
Start off by performing stretches that focus on your arms, wrists, hamstrings, quads, shoulders and lower back. These are the muscles and parts of your body that are going to get the heaviest workout as you bowl.
Strength training can also be a great way to boost your endurance and help you get through an entire bowling season. There are certain hyper-focused exercises you can perform to strengthen your fingers and wrists, which will help you hold up to several games of carrying and throwing around a heavy ball. There are also core exercises you can perform to build some extra strength, such as crunches, planks and leg raises.
You should also make sure to adjust your bowling practices if pain continues to be an issue for you. If you regularly suffer from wrist pain, for example, bowling with a wrist brace can be beneficial, as it will provide you with some extra support. You should also make sure the gripping holes you have on the balls you use are neither too loose nor too tight—this is one of the most common reasons people experience pain after long periods of bowling, so having the right fit with your holes is important.
When you get the ball out of the ball return during a game, you should also avoid lifting with your back. Use two hands and bend at your knees when stooping to pick up the ball. You might not think you need to lift this way, given you’re not exactly lifting furniture or extremely heavy weights, but over the course of a game, the frequency with which you perform this activity can wear on you if you don’t use the proper technique. Finally, make sure your shoes are clean and dry so you avoid slipping.
For more tips for preventing common bowling injuries, or to sign up for one of our bowling leagues in Hampton, VA, please reach out to Sparetimes today!
Categorised in: Bowling Leagues