Avoiding Heel Problems in a Squash Game

Squash is an exciting sport that involves players constantly moving around the court and good squash players are able to abruptly change their directions as they play the game. Unfortunately, while this sport is highly recommended if you want a good workout, squash injuries are inevitable even to the most experienced of players.

If you have been playing squash for a long time, you might have experienced some form of injury in your ankle area or you might have heard of someone experiencing a ruptured Achilles tendon. After all, your ankle bears all the weight of your body as you move, turn, jump and make sudden starts and stops in the squash court. This injury is most commonly known as Achilles tendonitis.

The bulky part of your calf is made up of two muscles and it is attached to the back of your heel bone only by a single tendon called the Achilles tendon. This is what gives you the ability to propel yourself as point your toes to the floor and sprint. Simply put, Achilles tendonitis is an injury to the tendon that attaches the calf muscles and heel bone. And this can lead to a long recovery time.

But this should not discourage you from playing your favorite sport. There is actually a very simple way of avoiding this injury: proper warm ups and stretching especially if you have reached the age of thirty. A five minute warm up in a stationary bicycle should do the trick and make you sweat a little. Sweating means that you are already pumping blood to your legs and arms which also tells your body that you are about to engage in a more intense physical activity. After your warm up, give your Achilles tendon a good stretching routine. If you feel pain as you stretch, you might be overdoing it so take it easy. Stretching durations will vary depending on the routine. One tip: do not hurry the exercise. You should also wear the correct footwear that provides the right support to your ankles.

Warm ups and stretching before your squash game could spell the difference between a fun game in the court and spending most of the year in physical therapy. So keep your Achilles tendon in tip-top shape by giving it time to prepare for the game through stretching.

Top Squash Brands

If you are an avid squash player and you have been playing it for years, then you have probably been through a lot of squash racquets. There are now many different types of squash racquets available in the market, each with their own unique selling points like strings, shapes, composites, etc. And with advanced technology today, more and more squash racquets will surely come out.

But if you really want to be sure in your game, you can never go wrong with top brands like Wilson, Dunlop, Head, Prince, Manta, Black Knight, Technifibre, or Karakal. These brands may be a little heavy on the pocket but you can be sure that they will provide you with many, many hours of playing time without being worn out.

If you are just a beginner, brand names will not really matter. You should not spend too much time thinking of what brand to buy. Just ask your favorite sports store on what affordable brand you can use for your games. And once you have gained a little more experience, then go for the top brands mentioned above. Here are some more tips you can use in buying choosing a squash racquet.

Go light: Squash players deal with injuries from time to time. So it would be advisable to buy a lighter racquet with the least vibrations in order to provide maximum protection for your shoulder, elbow and wrist. Test each brand and get a feel of the racquet.

Keep a spare: So you have a racquet already? Then it is time to get a backup. Getting two racquets might be a little expensive but you can be sure that your game or practice will not be interrupted just in case your first one breaks or needs to be restrung. Do take note that if you only have one squash racquet, and it breaks, then you would have to settle for a replacement. It can be a bit difficult to adjust to a different racquet if you are already used to using a particular brand, so having a spare is good advice.

Squash is such an exciting and challenging game. Keep practicing and improving your moves. And if you think you will be playing squash more and more in the near future, then invest in the top brands and rest assured that it will serve you well in your games.

Squash 2016

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is voting in Copenhagen in October 2009 to decide whether to widen the current sports able to compete. Among the potential two new sports to be picked is squash, The Telegraph has today (21 May) reported.

The thought of an Olympic medal would most likely mean present-day squash players would keep a grip of their rackets for now. The Telegraph has commented that from an England perspective, James Willstrop and Nick Matthew, the top two players would both be reaching the end of their careers.

Could the prospect of the Olympics be enough to quash any thought of retirement for these two squash-giants?

England Junior Squash players need to be considered too, amidst the exciting possibility that is squash at the 2016 Olympics.

To mark World Squash Day, now renamed Squash 2016 Day, on 23 May, a host of Olympic-based activities have been scheduled around the world. The four host bid cities are particularly gearing up for sports-themed events: in Chicago, Madrid, Rio and Tokyo.

England Squash & Racketball chief executive, Nick Rider said: The campaign for Olympic inclusion has been a long one; and we're reaching the final lap. Squash 2016 Day is a great opportunity for the squash community across the globe to show how much this means to us. This is a sport with universal appeal that would genuinely enhance the Olympic movement."

Squash players around the world are waiting in anticipation for the IOCs meeting in June. This initial gathering will determine the two out of the seven sports to be picked to go forward to October's final meeting.

We are confident all hope will not be squashed!