TRAINER:
Kim Moseley, 53, Head athletic trainer for the WNBA's Atlanta Dream
Moseley swaps best practices with her husband, Don, an athletic trainer for the NFL's Tennessee Titans.
To-Go Training
Take your workout anywhere with a resistance band like the Versa-Loop or Thera-Band, one of Moseley's favorite products.
"I travel with one all the time because the bands are inexpensive and so compact they can fold up into a purse," she says.
Try this: From either a seated or standing position, pull the band up around your thighs, then slowly pull your legs apart at the knees (it works your inner and outer thighs); do three sets of 10.
More: 6 Ways to Stay Fit While Traveling
Fall Smart
As someone who has seen some tremendously hard fouls—like players going up for a basket or a rebound and getting knocked five feet to the ground by an opponent—Moseley says one of the worst things you can do is put your arms straight out to try to break a fall.
"That could cause a shoulder separation or dislocated elbow," she says. Instead, roll with the fall to the side of your back, which can tolerate more impact.
More: How to Avoid Fitness-Class Injuries
TRAINER:
Sue Falsone, 38, Head athletic trainer and physical therapist for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Falsone made history this year as the first female head athletic trainer in a U.S. professional sports league.Eat After Exercising
Workouts cause muscle damage—it's how muscles repair that makes them stronger, says Falsone.
"If all you do is break down muscle cells, you're on the path to injury," she says. "The first 10 minutes post-workout is the time to replenish those cells so they can begin to repair and be ready to work out again."
Your stomach may not be craving a turkey sandwich, but grab something easy to eat like a banana and peanut butter or a protein shake. (Falsone likes EAS Myoplex Lite Ready-to-Drink shakes for her athletes.
More: 6 Nutritional Steps for Post-Workout Recovery
No-Gym Workout
Falsone's first priority is her athletes' health and fitness, which means some days it can be tough to schedule her own gym time.
"If I absolutely can't fit in any kind of workout, I focus on my posture," she says. "Slouching shuts off everything, but fixing your posture changes everything about you and how your muscles are activated."
Healthy posture means activating your shoulders and drawing them back; bringing your head back into alignment, which decreases tension headaches; and engaging your core—which, as a bonus, helps your stomach look flatter.
More: 7 Ways to Fix Your Posture Problems
TRAINER:
Julie Max, 59, Director of athletic training at California State University at Fullerton
In 2000, Max became the first woman to be elected president of the National Athletic Trainers' Association.
Get Stronger Stems
Athletic-training students learn that your quads should be stronger than your hamstrings, but for women, Max says it needs to be close to an even balance. After four of her nine Cal State gymnasts ruptured their anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL), she took them off the leg-extension machines in the weight room and had them do squats and hamstring curls instead. The next three years, they totally eliminated any ruptures.
"Going forward, I deemphasized quadriceps strengthening—which is a lot of what men do—for female athletes, and I emphasized hamstring strengthening," she says.
Keep your ratio even by making sure you do at least one hamstring exercise for every quad exercise. (The leg-extension machine isn't always effective—or even safe. In fact, it made our list of the 10 Exercise Machines to Avoid.)
More: How to Master the Squat
Take Practice Sips
"Water is the most underrated nutrient--it can change your performance overnight," says Max. "We underestimate the importance of how much water we need to drink in order to be at our peak performance."
But while you may be aware of recommendations—eight to 10 eight-ounce glasses a day—it's hard to track how much that is.
Try this tip from Max: Get an eight-ounce glass of water and count how many swallows it takes to drink the whole thing. Say it's 10. Now you know when you've checked off one eight-ounce serving, whether you're sipping from a fountain or a tumbler in a restaurant.
More: The Many Wonders of Water: 6 Reasons to Drink Up
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