This guide is to help you properly treat injuries with a goal of preventing a chronic injury. Let’s start with how to prevent an injury in the first place. If you are already injured please read the next article in this series “Oops, I Injured Myself” for proper treatment of soft-tissue injuries.
Conditioning
Proper aerobic and cardiovascular conditioning is vital for preventing injury, but sports-specific training is also imperative. Weekend warriors are usually not well-conditioned and may not be proficient in the sport they are playing. They predispose themselves to injury and are notorious for their high rates of injury. So please set a comfortable and consistent pace and ease into exercise.
Trying to "play your-self into shape" is a mistake. Pro basketball players don’t become pro because they play a ton of basketball all week. They incorporate targeted drills and muscle strengthening programs in their training schedule (e.g., rotator cuff strengthening so they don’t throw out a shoulder; quadriceps and patella femoral strengthening exercises to protect the knees; ankle strengthening and stabilizing exercises that involve quick change of direction, etc.). Sports-specific drills will also help you become more proficient at your sport.
Warm-up and Stretch Properly
Warm muscles are pliable and less susceptible to injury. A normal “warmed-up” muscle has elastic properties, much like a rubber band, that has some degree of resiliency or give when stretched. A "cold" or tight muscle, however, has characteristics resembling scotch tape - when stretched, it eventually has to tear. A proper warm-up is essential for injury prevention.
Simply walking or jogging in place may be adequate, while sometimes starting your sport or activity at a slow pace may also be appropriate. For example shoulder rolls and windmills before tennis. Stretching should follow the warm-up period. Stretching is not a warm-up and should only be done after you have warmed up. A few simple stretches specific to your activity will help maintain overall flexibility and reduce your risk of injury while improving overall exercise performance.
Stretching after exercise while the muscles are warm and flexible will help any micro tears that may have occurred to heal better. If you have a history of previous injury to certain muscles or joints, warming up and stretching these areas is important in order to prevent repeat injury.
Avoid Overtraining and Training Errors
If exercise hurts you are probably doing something wrong. A common misconception is “more pain, more gain” athletes with high consecutive days of training have more injuries. Some soreness is common after exercising, but if it continues, you are pushing too hard. You are not going to make up for 6 months of couch time with one crazy intense workout that leaves you laid up on the sofa panting “no pain, no gain” for the next five days!
When it comes to exercise, you need an appropriate balance of training and rest. Injuries can occur when the volume or intensity of training is excessive, causing damage to tissues that cannot be adequately repaired during a training cycle.
If you are noticing decreases in training capacity, persistent muscle aches and pains, changes in mood or sleep patterns, or an increased incidence of injuries, then you are over-training. This undesirable situation can be avoided with proper modifications in your training regimen to prevent overtraining.
Training errors can also predispose you to injury. Avoid progressing too much too soon. Increases in the volume and intensity of your workout should be made in a gradual, progressive manner. Know how to properly use equipment and always use proper form. If you are un-able to keep proper form then back off with the weight. Set training goals and remember that they are goals not starting points.
Avoid Playing When Extremely Tired or in Pain
Do not try to push through pain or continue exercising or playing when exhausted. Pain is an indicator of a problem or potential underlying injury. I once slipped and painfully jammed my knee. I felt that I had to finish what I was doing so I kept on going. The next day I couldn’t bend my knee and I still have occasional flare ups to this day because I never iced or properly treated this injury (please read “Oops I injured myself” for proper injury care and how I could have prevented this from progressing into a chronic injury). You need to pay attention to the warning signs that your body provides!
Fatigue has been shown to be a significant risk factor in athletic injuries. For example studies have shown that ski injuries peak in mid- to late afternoon when skiers are more tired. I know this first hand, I still suffer from a neck injury I sustained over three years ago because I took one last run down the mountain while exhausted (obviously my judgment was bad and my reaction time even worse). There is nothing wrong with relaxing in the lodge while your friends finish up. Please curtail your activity when tired to prevent fatigue-related injuries.
Related Articles: "Oops, I Injured Myself" and "Your Two Secret Weapons In sport Injury Care"
