This is the first of a 6 part series on corrective exercises triathletes (or any athlete for that matter) must do everyday to balance their body. With so many overuse injuries in the sport, these athletes must make it a priority to perform these exercises as part of their daily workout routine.

With so much demand on the body from vigorous training, triathletes need to build balance throughout their entire body. All athletes need core, hip and shoulder stability and ankle, hip and thoracic (mid-spine) mobility. The stronger your structure becomes the less you become injured and the higher your performance will soar. Endurance athletes seem to wait too long to correct their imbalances and issues. From an unstable lower spine, weak and “loose” hips and shoulders, and a weak core, triathletes are destined for a physical therapy clinic. These six corrective exercises can big a huge assistance to correcting some major issues I see all the time in, not just triathletes, but a majority of athletes. These movements need to be part of a regular routine so you can build a balanced body, increase your flexibility and mobility and decrease your chance of injury. Remember when you get hurt you can not train and when you can not train you can not get better. Train smart and perform these exercises daily.

1. Y’s/T’s/W’s/L’s – Whether you are swimming, biking or running, triathletes need strong stability and posture of the upper back. If you have a weak posterior upper body your body will learn to compensate through unwanted stress of the lower back, shoulders, hips and knees. These simple exercises will enhance shoulder stability, rotator cuff strength, and scapular control. The scapula area (shoulder blades, rhomboids, rotator cuff, middle trapezius, posterior deltoid and subscapularis) are all stabilizing muscles of the upper back. If we lack strength in these small stabilizing muscles our posture will suffer thus causing stress and pain in other areas. You need to be in a good athletic position while performing these exercises. Knees should be slightly bent and you should be bent over 45 degrees towards the ground. Remain strong and tight in the trunk area. Start out by doing 6 repetitions for each exercise and do not use any weight. Build to 10 repetitions of each exercise. Once you have done this set of exercises for at least 4 weeks, then you can move to 2 pound dumbbells. This exercise is meant for light weight so we can continue to strengthen the stabilizers. The heavier you go the more your deltoid will want to take over, thus defeating the purpose of these moves.