Stay supple this summer
Keep your muscles limber with these simple stretches from Man City conditioning coach Simon Bitcon
90/90 HIP FLEXOR
TECHNIQUE: Get down on one knee, positioning both knees at a 90 degree angle. Keep your torso upright and gently lean forward to feel the stretch in the hip flexor in your back leg. Returning to pre-season with stiff hips will increase your risk of injury because your body will compensate by using other muscles.
Reps: 6 Sets: 3
SUPINE HIP FLEXOR
TECHNIQUE: Lie on your back keeping your lower back flat. Pull one knee to your chest, keeping your other leg straight and your shoulders on the floor. Performing this stretch will maintain mobility in your hips and help protect against injury.
Reps: 6 Sets: 3
ANKLE SELF MOBILISATION
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TECHNIQUE: Lean up against a wall in a split stance position with your front foot 3-6 inches from the wall. Press your front knee against the wall, while keeping both heels on the ground. Keeping your ankles loose will stop your body from putting greater strain on your knees when you dive back into pre-season training.
Reps: 6 Sets: 3
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Huw was on the FourFourTwo staff from 2009 to 2015, ultimately as the magazine's Managing Editor, before becoming a freelancer and moving to Wales. As a writer, editor and tragic statto, he still contributes regularly to FFT in print and online, though as a match-going #WalesAway fan, he left a small chunk of his brain on one of many bus journeys across France in 2016.