MidAmerica Nazarene University

Therapeutic Rehabilitation

Functional and Sport-Specific Exercise

Austin Tummons

Lab Activity:

You are a therapist for the University of Kansas, home of the defending women’s track and field national
champions! Alyson, the star sprinter for the team has been rehabilitating from a hamstring strain
suffered 4 weeks ago. She has been doing really well with her ROM and strengthening exercises and has
been doing some light jogging and bicycling, to improve her muscular endurance and cardiovascular
fitness. She has been cleared by the team physician to begin a functional and sport-specific
rehabilitation program with goal of returning to sprinting over the next two weeks.

1. Describe a progressive and functional running program for the next two-weeks using the
information in your notes and in the chapter as your guide.
a. Day 1-2- Have Alyson do her basic practice warm up thoroughly, do 8 reps of 100m build
up runs at 75% at 30 meters, maintain form and speed for 30m, and then decelerate for
40m
b. Day 3- Plyometric exercises and stretching for a little bit of a workout but also some
recovery.
c. Day 4-5- Have Alyson do her basic practice warm up thoroughly, do 10 reps of 100m
build up runs at 80% at 30 meters, maintain form and speed for 30m, and then
decelerate for 40m
d. Day 6- 20-minute-long run at light to regular jog and then thoroughly stretch afterwards
for recovery.
e. Day 7-8- Regular practice and doing the same amount of reps as everyone else just
going 80-85%.
f. Day 9- Plyometric exercises and stretching for a little bit of a workout but also some
recovery.
g. Day 10-11- Regular practice again going 90-100%. Trying to push the body enough to
progress but being able to dial it back if needed.
h. Day 12- 20-minute-long run at light to regular jog and then thoroughly stretch
afterwards for recovery.
i. Day 13-14- Full practice, should be able to go 100%.

2. Are plyometric exercises indicated for any stage of this program? If so, how would you
implement them? If not, why not?
a. Plyometrics are being implemented every week between two full days of practice. They
are being done so there isn’t too much strain on the hamstrings and so there can be a
little bit of a rest.

THERAPEUTIC REHABILITATION | Lab Exercise

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Therapeutic Rehabilitation
3. Describe the sport-specific exercises that you would have Alyson do.
a. During Alyson’s warmup she’ll perform some exercise to fire the muscles and do some
fast legs, hurdle leg swings, A-marches, A-skips, A-runs. These are specific for her to
increase her speed and get the coordination within her legs back.
b. Plyometrics- Alyson should perform squat jumps, mountain climbers, box jumps, and
sled pulls/pushes.

4. What other rehabilitation exercises would you incorporate or implement into your program that
would help Alyson over the next two weeks and for the remainder of the season?
a. Implement some basic body weight or light weight exercises to help her strengthen her
hamstrings more. Some examples of these sorts of exercises would be single-leg
bridges, hamstring curls with a medicine ball, hamstring curls with your feet on a yoga
ball. Also going to scheduled weights as usual and strengthening your whole body.
b. Put a heat pad on her hamstring before practice to loosen it up.
c. Ice pack after practice to help with healing and soreness.

THERAPEUTIC REHABILITATION | Lab Exercise