Concussion Prevention Exercises

Conemaugh Health System’s Strong Minded Concussion Strength Training Program for Concussion Prevention is designed to help enhance the student-athlete’s ability to react and respond when in a compromised position in which a concussion may occur in sports. 

Click here for article: "The missing piece of the concussion discussion: primary prevention of mild traumatic brain injury in student athletes", by Conemaugh Health System providers

The strength program provides tools to train each student-athlete to better understand body awareness to improve stability, mobility, and strength. The strength programs focuses on five categories:

Mobility
Agility
Stability
Strength
flexibility

The strong minded training program is designed to be in combination with existing sports specific strength training programs.

The following exercise instruction videos were developed by Conemaugh Health System in an effort to reduce the number of concussions in youth athletes. The use of these videos is free and open to the public. If you would like additional assistance with outreach efforts for youth athletes, please contact Tom Causer, Conemaugh Trauma Services, at (814) 534-9096.

Click here to download instruction sheets for entire MASSf exercise program

Mobility Exercises

Mobility is the body’s ability to move easily, movement that allows the body to move freely and with physical quality. By increasing cervical spine and thoracic spine mobility, the athlete is able to dissipate energy through the spine, thus protecting the cervical spine and head upon impact, sudden movement with change in direction, and falls.

• PNF D1 DOT Flexion Squat
• PNF D2 DOT Flexion Lunge
• PNF D1 Theraball Extension
• PND D2 Theraball Extension
• 3-Point ½ Kneeling Multi-Directional Arm Lifts
• 4-Point Lunge with Rotational-Alternating Arm Extends
• Boxing Punches – Sport Specific
  • Football
  • Soccer
  • Volleyball
  • Basketball
  • Softball
  • Baseball
  • Wrestling

Agility Exercises

Agility is the body’s ability to move about swiftly, quickly, and easily in any situation. Agility drills should be done specific to enhance desired sports movement.

• Plyometric Box Jumps
• Agility Ladder
• Cone / Hurdle Drills (also used with weight vest)
• Bosu Ball

Stability Exercises

Stability and balance are the body’s ability to be firmly fixed or not likely to move or change. A position in which the weight is equally divided so that it can stay in one position and in a controlled manner.

• Trunk Extension
• Russian Twists
• Cobra Holds
• “Around the World” Push Up
• Stability Theraball Twists
• Plank Holds
• 1-Leg Balance Medicine Ball Toss
• Balance Plyometric Squat Toss
• 1-Leg Balance Spectrum
• 3-Way Spectrum Lunge

Strength Exercises

Strength is the body’s ability to do tasks that demand physical effort or the degree to which a task is done strong or powerful.

• Neck Specific Strength
• Core / Trunk Strength (A-E)
• Ab Roller
• Roman Chair

Flexibility Exercises

Flexibility is the quality of the body’s ability to be able to change or be changed easily according to the stress that is placed on it in any situation.

• Neck Dynamic Stretches
• Core and Trunk Stretches
• Active Lower Body Stretches