ACL Prevention Exercises

The following jump program is based on the Cincinnati Jump Program that was initiated to reduce ACL risk.

Jump Training for ACL

Purpose:

Help athletes develop proper balance and landing techniques in an effort to reduce ACL injuries.

Emphasis:

1. Don’t emphasize speed and height at the expense of form and technique.

2. Emphaize soft landings with knees flexed and on their toes.

3. Landing in line, knees over toes.

4. Landing where you jump from.

Exercises:

1. Stationary Jumps- 30 seconds each

Two foot jump & two foot landing.

-       Stationary

-       Side to Side

-       Front to Back

2. 180 Degree Jumps- 30 seconds

Two footed jump

Rotate 180 degrees- land soft

Hold landing for 2 second

Reverse the direction

3.Long Jump- Go to half-court and back

2 Footed Long Jump

Length of jump is not the priority- land soft.

Land soft, stick landing, hold landing for 2 seconds

Jump Again

4- Hop, Hop, Land- Go to half-court and back

Two footed hopping.

Hop and do not stick it but immediately go into another hop, and

Stick the landing on the third hop

5- One Foot Hop- Go to half-court and back

Stick the third hop.

Use left foot coming back

Strength and Balance Exercises

The following are strength training exercises used to reduce ACL risk:

1- Squats- keep the knees in alignment with hips, don't allow them to bow inward. Eventually you can work on one leg squats with the other leg resting on bench behind you. 

2- Jump Squats- squat, jump, then land softly. Keep knees in alignment, don't allow them to bow inward.

3. Hip Bridges- keep knees aligned. Eventually you can do one leg hip bridges.

4- One Leg Balance- stand on one foot with knee flexed slightly, raise other knee up high in front of you, then move leg back as far behind you as you can. Repeat these- you are making the one leg have to work on balance.

5- Hamstring Curls- Kneel on all fours. Raise one leg back straight. Try to curl the leg to have your heel touch your butt. Then extend your leg again, touch your toe to the ground, then curl again. 

Most of the exercises are shown in these videos: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW8e1sPLwg8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=803MwCDtRTg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sBSRe3melM&feature=youtu.be&a

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajsDsTrn0GI&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF9wx2iktSs&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Y6KQ2ipbE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWBSf4BfKRk