Injury Prevention

Injury Prevention

The best practice for preventing injury is general physical preparedness. General physical preparedness training is the first concept to understand when talking about injury prevention, especially for trauma. It means maintaining a baseline of fitness so that you can respond to physical challenges without harm. The following list has the five main GPP areas you need to improve:

1. Flexibility

Ensure that all major joints, including your spine, have a full range of motion and sufficient muscle length.

Our advice: Spend at least one 20-minute session per week on stretching, preceded by a thorough warmup.

2. Strength

Keep all large muscles and surrounding stabilizers conditioned and ready to react at a moment’s notice.

Our advice: Plan two or three 30-minute strength training sessions with weights per week.

3. Agility

What is your reaction time and general coordination like? If properly honed, you can avoid spilling your bike as you swerve to avoid a pedestrian.

Our advice: Run an agility ladder or tire array twice per month.

4. Balance

Can you stay vertical over uneven terrain or when carrying an awkwardly shaped object?

Our advice: Single-leg medicine ball tosses with a partner are a great balance challenge. Do 3 sets x 60 seconds on each leg.

5. Power

Do you have the speed to move out of harm’s way in a hurry? You better hope so if you need to dodge a vehicle while on your morning run.

Our advice: A burpee plus a 15-yard sprint is an excellent combo for power generation. Do five in a row at the end of your next workout.

A workout injury can happen to anyone, no matter your experience or fitness level. Even walking can cause an injury. But you can significantly cut your risk of getting hurt by following certain workout precautions.

Common Workout Injuries

People hurt themselves in all kinds of ways when they work out. Common workout injuries include:

  • Muscle pull and strain
  • Sprained ankle
  • Shoulder injury
  • Knee injuries
  • Shin splint
  • Tendinitis
  • Wrist sprain or dislocation

Preventing Workout Injuries

There are simple steps that can help keep you injury-free during your workout. First, pay attention to this general rule. If you’re a woman over age 55, check with your healthcare professional before you start an exercise program. Then you’ll be sure you’re healthy enough to work out. The same applies to a man over age 45 or a person with any medical condition.

Here are guidelines for avoiding injuries during your workout:

Warm-up and Cool-down 

Every workout should begin with a warm-up and end with a cool-down period. A warm-up helps your body get ready for exercise. It gradually increases your heart rate and loosens your muscles and joints. Some ways to warm up:

  • Ride an exercise bike
  • Jump rope
  • Jog in place for 5 to 10 minutes

A cool-down after you work out is important to slowly bring your heart rate back to normal. Walking for 5 to 10 minutes after you work out is one way to cool down.

Stretch 

Do dynamic stretching before and after you work out. This will help increase flexibility. Research is conflicting as to whether it can also help prevent injury, It’s best to stretch after you warm up and cool down.

Ease into it 

When you begin an exercise routine or start a new workout program, start slowly. Then gradually build up the intensity, duration, and frequency. Don’t push yourself too hard. As your fitness abilities increase, you will be able to challenge yourself more.

Cross-train

Vary your workout. Don’t overuse one set of muscles. Repeating the same muscle movements frequently can lead to overuse and repetitive-use injuries such as shin splints and tendinitis. Some ways to vary your workout:

  • Run on Day One.
  • Lift weights on Day Two.
  • Swim or cycle on Day Three.

Know your trouble spots

Tailor your workout for problem areas. For example, if you have arthritis in your knees, you’ll want to build up strength. But don’t do exercises that hurt. Check with your doctor. And be sure to start lightly.

Listen to your body 

The “no pain, no gain” philosophy can set you up for an injury. You can get fit without feeling pain. Don’t push yourself to the point of pain. If you feel pain, you may be injured. Stop your workout, and rest for a day.

Fuel your body

Drink plenty of water before, during, and after you work out. Get off to a good start by drinking about 17 to 20 ounces of water about 2 or 3 hours before exercising. A good general rule is to then drink this amount of water:

  • 8 ounces about 20 to 30 minutes before working out
  • 8 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes during your workout
  • 8 ounces within a half hour of when your workout is done

Eat a small meal or snack every 2 to 3 hours to keep a steady source of fuel for your body. After your workout, eat a healthy carb and protein snack to replenish your energy stores.

See a trainer

Before starting a weightlifting or exercise routine, meet with a trainer. He or she can show you how to work out correctly. The trainer will help you create a safe and realistic exercise program.

Dress right

Wear the proper gear for your workout. If you are a runner, wear a good pair of running shoes that fit properly. If you are a biker, always wear a helmet.

Rest 

Take 1 to 2 days off a week to rest. Rest days give your body a chance to recover between workouts. That can help prevent injuries.

Treating Workout Injuries

Injuries can happen, no matter how careful you are. If you develop a workout injury, follow the RICE method to keep your injury from getting worse:

  •  R: Rest the injury.
  • I: Ice the injury to lessen swelling, bleeding, and inflammation.
  •  C: Apply a Compression bandage to minimize swelling.
  •  E: Elevate the injury, if possible, to reduce swelling.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen can help ease pain and inflammation from the injury. Check with your doctor before using them, though, if you take any other medicines or have medical problems.

Most workout injuries will heal on their own in 4 weeks or less. If the injury has not improved within a week, or if it gets worse, seek medical care. And always use common sense. If you’re concerned about the injury, it’s best to seek medical advice.

Until you are fully healed, don’t do the activity that triggered the injury. And avoid any activity that puts strain on the injured area.

You can still be active as long as you don’t stress the injury. Staying active may help you heal quicker than if you take to the couch. Try a new workout while your injury heals. For example, if you sprain your ankle, exercise your arms instead. If you hurt your shoulder, work out your legs by walking.

After you have fully recovered from your injury — pain-free for more than a week — start back slowly. Don’t try to work out with the same fervor you did before your injury. You will need to rebuild your muscle strength and endurance. It may take 3 weeks of regular exercise to regain your pre-injury fitness level. If you push too hard and too fast, you may injure yourself again.

Every person who exercises fears getting that dreaded injury. Every new beginner to exercise has an overriding fear of getting an injury when they finally have the motivation to start a new adventure in exercise. As a coach, it is my main responsibility to make sure that everyone from a beginner to an athlete is safe from the injury that is going to take them away from their main goal. Here are some tips and suggestions on how to keep the body going without it breaking down in the end. 

  • Visit a personal trainer or get a coach. If you don’t know how to start an exercise program or progress to that next level of anaerobic/aerobic exertion safely, a personal trainer or coach is the perfect option. They can give you safety tips and progressions to either get you started or accomplish your goal without getting injured. 
  • Warm-up. It is never a good idea to cold workout muscles. Make sure you are warming up your body to increase your body’s core temperature, and blood flow to the working muscles, and also to mentally prepare yourself for the workout ahead. 
  • Cross Train. Your body will thank you when you change up your routine by engaging in different activities. This will not only help you avoid hitting a plateau with your workouts, it will give your muscles a much-needed break from the same routine day in and day out. Plus, not only will your body benefit from diversifying your exercise routine, but so will your metabolism. Studies show that switching up your daily exercises can rev up your fat-burning. 
  • Be smart about your training. Just because you could do a specific exercise 10 or 20 years ago, doesn’t mean you can exercise with the same speed and energy today. Be realistic about your training and not focus on what you used to do. “Too much, too soon” can be the number one reason why injuries occur. Gradually increase your time and the intensity of your workouts to prevent those nagging injuries. 
  • Wear proper workout attire. If you have to think about how long ago you purchased a new pair of running shoes, then it is time to head to the store. Going to a specialty store for expert advice on what shoes you should be wearing is the first step because they can gauge what shoe fits best with your arch, gait, and body weight. So many injuries come from wearing worn-out shoes without any support. Your poor feet! 
  • Eat a balanced diet and hydrate. What you eat and drink is just as important as your workout. Not only will carbohydrates give you energy for your workout, they will replenish those glycogen stores for your recovery and the next workout. Protein after your workout is just as important as this will help repair those muscles you just broke down. Work with a sports nutritionist to understand when, how much, and what foods you should be eating to keep you healthy and energized for your workouts. 
  • Add strength training and core work to your routine. Having a strong fit body is a great way to keep the injuries away. If your muscles are balanced with a strong core then your body will not wear down or have to compensate for being weak or tight. 
  • Listen to your body with rest and recovery. Your body will give you the signals you need to know when to back off. If that knee is feeling a little achy, your soreness lasts for more than the recommended 24 to 48 hours, or you are just plain tired, then it is time to look over your exercise routine. Rest and recovery might be what your body is looking for. Make sure you take those rest days as your body is making actual gains during this time. 

Now that you have a plan of action on how to exercise without getting injured, have a safe, fun workout. Then take a few rest days for all of your accomplishments. 

Note: Consult a physician before starting a new exercise routine.