Lower-Body Flexibility with Wichita State Baseball
Whatever your sport, stretching religiously will help prevent injury and enhance your performance. That’s why Kerry Rosenboom, head strength and conditioning coach at Wichita State, has his athletes perform lower body stretches to keep them limber and on the diamond.
“Lower-body flexibility can greatly increase your physical skills,” Rosenboom says. “If a player has good flexibility in his hips and lower back, he will be able to drive more pitches at the plate and increase his speed and agility on the field.”
Here, Rosenboom lays out a lower-body stretch to improve elasticity in your lower back and hips. The Shockers, who advanced to the Super Regional in 2007, perform this stretch year-round before and after lifting and conditioning sessions.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
- Bend at waist, reaching for ankles
- Hold for 6 seconds
- Squat down; place hands flat on ground
- Hold for 4 seconds
- Straighten legs, keeping fingers as close to ground as possible
- Hold for 6 seconds
- Repeat twice
Rosenboom’s Keys: Don’t stretch to the point that it hurts // Maintain a good, calm breathing pattern to keep the body relaxed // Make sure your legs are straight and your hands are as close to the ground as possible
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Lower-Body Flexibility with Wichita State Baseball
Whatever your sport, stretching religiously will help prevent injury and enhance your performance. That’s why Kerry Rosenboom, head strength and conditioning coach at Wichita State, has his athletes perform lower body stretches to keep them limber and on the diamond.
“Lower-body flexibility can greatly increase your physical skills,” Rosenboom says. “If a player has good flexibility in his hips and lower back, he will be able to drive more pitches at the plate and increase his speed and agility on the field.”
Here, Rosenboom lays out a lower-body stretch to improve elasticity in your lower back and hips. The Shockers, who advanced to the Super Regional in 2007, perform this stretch year-round before and after lifting and conditioning sessions.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
- Bend at waist, reaching for ankles
- Hold for 6 seconds
- Squat down; place hands flat on ground
- Hold for 4 seconds
- Straighten legs, keeping fingers as close to ground as possible
- Hold for 6 seconds
- Repeat twice
Rosenboom’s Keys: Don’t stretch to the point that it hurts // Maintain a good, calm breathing pattern to keep the body relaxed // Make sure your legs are straight and your hands are as close to the ground as possible