Research and News
Programs and Partners
ATP tour uses Thera-Band® products for their players
Aug 30th
Thera-Band Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) member, Todd Ellenbecker, DPT, MS, SCS, OCS, CSCS was recently featured on a video demonstrating balance and agility exercises for tennis with Thera-Band products. Todd is the Director of Sports Medicine for the ATP Tour, and is the National Director of Clinical Research and Clinic Director of Physiotherapy Associates in Scottsdale. Learn more about the Thera-Band Stability Trainer, Band Loops, and Soft Weights that Todd recommends in the video.
You can also view the video at the ATP website here: Agility Training for Tennis with Thera-Band Products
For more information on purchasing Thera-Band products, contact your local healthcare distributor or visit our “Where to Buy” website to find a practitioner in your area who sells the products.
USA Bowling Partners with Thera-Band Academy
May 25th
The new home of USA Bowling, the Bowling International Training and Research Center located in Arlington, Texas, is now open and featuring Thera-Band® products. As a partner with the Thera-Band Academy, the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) will use Thera-Band products in many exercises designed to correct poor movement patterns and decrease the risk of repetitive stress injuries. Exercises will focus on scapular and core stabilization and mobilization of the ankles, hips, and thoracic spine. Nicholas Bohanan, MEd, ATC, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, an Exercise and Conditioning Specialist with the USBC, has developed an elastic-resisted shoulder exercise strength training program for bowlers using Thera-Band resistance bands.
The Bowling International Training and Research Center is in association with the United States Bowling Congress and is the only bowling training center recognized by the United States Olympic Committee. The 930 sq. ft. Athlete Performance Enhancement Center is located within the facility and will be the focal point of training for USA Bowling’s adult and junior national teams. Other bowling athletes who will utilize the facility include many collegiate and International teams.
Thera-Band Exercises for Tennis Players to Prevent Injuries
Sep 13th
As with all sports, tennis injuries are all too common. The repetitive nature of tennis predispose players to many injuries as a result of muscle imbalance. Believe it or not, tennis players suffer from lower extremity injuries more than shoulder injuries. Todd Ellenbecker DPT, MS, CSCS, Director of the Physiotherapy Associates Scottsdale Sports Clinic, recently published an article in Strength & Conditioning Journal on exercises to reduce injury risk in tennis players. In the August 2009 issue, Ellenbecker and his co-authors provided a list of exercises to help reduce injury risk for the shoulder, elbow, hip, and core in tennis players. The exercises dont require expensive machines or equipment; instead, portable and inexpensive Thera-Band® products are suggested including Thera-Band bands, tubing and loops, Thera-Band Soft Weights and Exercise Balls, and cuff weights. As Director of Sports Medicine for the ATP Tour, Ellenbecker and the international team of physiotherapists regularly use Thera-Band products for testing and training professional tennis players.
Fall Prevention Conference Features Thera-Band Products
Aug 6th
Dr. Michael Rogers, Chair and Professor of the Department of Human Performance Studies at Wichita State University recently gave several presentations at the Louisiana Fall Prevention Conference in Lafayette. The conference, sponsored by the Louisiana Office of Public Health, was attended by over 60 representatives of healthcare, government, and senior centers. In addition to providing the keynote address, Dr. Rogers demonstrated his scientifically-proven fall prevention program, Standing Strong in several workshops. The Standing Strong program features Thera-Band products such as elastic bands and Stability Trainers to progressively challenge the systems controlling balance. Rogers noted, “Standing Strong is a practical and easy-to-implement program using readily available equipment. We use the elastic bands for both strength training and balance training because they are so convenient and versatile.” See photos from the event here from Flikr.
Thera-Band Program Teaches Exercises for Pregnancy in India
Jun 11th
Finding safe exercises during pregnancy for both mom and baby is quite challenging. In India, physiotherapist Shabnam Agarwal is leading both pre- and post-natal exercise classes at the Belle Vue Clinic in Kolkata. They use Thera-Band resistance bands both in weekly classes, and at home. “It helps them carry and lift the baby, and eventually be able to do it better with less physical strain,” said Agarwal. The Thera-Band resistance exercises strengthen the chest, arms, and help with abdominal strength as well. Participants then progress to a Thera-Band exercise ball. She added, “It’s fun to see the mothers gaining more confidence with their exercises and feeling that they have more fit bodies.” Learn more about the Thera-Band program from a participant’s point of view.
Related Link: WebMD offers more information on safe exercise and pregancy.
