Seminar offered by Henry Ford Health System geared toward women

By Sue Teggart
C & G Sports Writer

Henry Ford’s Center for Athletic Medicine is offering a unique summer conditioning program geared strictly for women.

Kelly Weir, a certified physical therapist at Henry Ford’s Center for Athletic Medicine in Novi, said it’s important for female athletes in particular to know how to train and condition properly because they are more prone to injury.

“Unfortunately, because of our female anatomy — with wider hips and more knock-kneed positioning — we’re more susceptible to ACL tears, so these classes will teach proper form and technique, and help decrease that risk for an ACL injury,” Weir said.

Studies show that young female athletes are up to eight times more likely to tear their ACLs than young male athletes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 30,000 girls age 19 and younger suffered ACL injuries that required surgical repair in 2006.

Seminars are available in five-day sessions from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Bloomfield Hills Marian, located at 7225 Lahser Road. The cost per course is $50. Topics include Speed and Agility (July 6-10) and the Overhead Athlete (July 20-24).

The program, known as FasTrac — Flexibility, Acceleration and Strength TRaining for Athletic Competition — is designed for athletes who play all different sports. Its goal is improving athletic performance and decreasing the risk of injury.

“There’s going to be a lot of education on proper form and technique with the exercises,” Weir said. “It will help improve their strength and speed, and their core stability.

“It will help them get stronger and do the exercises correctly … so when they’re ready for their season, they are stronger and less likely to breakdown as quickly than if they weren’t doing these exercises.”

During the courses, Weir and other Henry Ford certified athletic trainers and performance enhancement specialists will take participants through a series of exercises in a circuit-training format. The hour-long classes will consist of a dynamic warm-up, two times around the circuit and a cool-down session.

Weir said strength and conditioning programs help counteract strain on the body and promote injury prevention.

“Your core is essential in athletics,” Weir said. “It’s the foundation of your body. If you have a good foundation, everything else works better.”

To register for the seminars or for more information, call (313) 972-4167.

You can reach Sports Writer Sue Teggart at steggart@candgnews.com or at (586) 279-1107.