Backward running. Toe raises. Scissor jumps. Lateral hops. Bounding runs.

Sound like punishment? Hardly. All are key components of an alternative approach to warm-ups and conditioning that may help female soccer players avert a devastating knee injury, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was published this week in The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Athletes who adhere to the regimen, known as PEP (for Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance), are 1.7 times less likely to suffer injuries to their anterior cruciate ligament than are athletes who do not, according to the study.

An ACL tear is a common injury among athletes in such sports as soccer, basketball, volleyball, and football, and it tends to occur more frequently among women than men. In most cases, it is also a season-ending injury with long-term repercussions. While it’s possible to repair the damage through surgery and months of rehabilitation, an ACL tear can increase an athlete’s risk of developing degenerative arthritis.

By improving biomechanical techniques in jumping, stopping, and turning, the alternative regimen seeks to reduce the number of non-contact ACL injuries, especially among athletes who have a history of knee injuries.

The study tracked injury rates among more than 1,400 athletes who competed on 61 NCAA Division I women’s soccer teams during the fall 2002 season. Athletes on the 25 teams who adhered to the PEP exercises avoided ACL tears altogether, while the 36 teams that stuck with their regular warm-ups incurred 15 such injuries during the course of the season. —Libby Sander