How to Avoid Injuries While Training Hard

You cannot completely avoid injuries during exercise.

At least not if you're training at the level elite athletes need. In fact, athletes suffer as many injuries during training and exercise as they do in actual competition because we are exposed to much more timed practice than the actual competition.

How can the risk of injury during exercise be reduced?

Injury prevention training and protocols

According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, simple things like not wearing the correct equipment (mismatch), insufficient stretching before exercise, and incorrect exercise (technique) practices are the top causes of sports injuries.

Sprains and strains are the most common injuries, with joint injuries leading the way, especially knees, shoulders, and ankles. The first thing the sports medic will tell you is to work on flexibility and muscle strength, especially in relation to joint stabilizing muscles.

No matter how strong or flexible you are, the speed at which you can play pretty much any professional sport puts you at high risk. For example, let's look at Malik Hooker, a security for the Indianapolis Colts, who finished second on Bookmaker to win the AFC South.

Malik Hooker is a top level safety officer and has suffered seven notable injuries since 2017. Immediately after completing his final season in college football in the state of Ohio, he underwent double sports hernia surgery.

A few weeks later, he had torn labrum and surgically repaired it. He later suffered a Class 3 ACL tear while playing professionally. Both the ACL and MCL were badly damaged and he missed more than half of the season he underwent surgery in November 2017.

On October 21, 2018, he put strain on his hip (groin area) and missed a game. Almost a month later, he had another groin strain and missed another game. A few months later, he injured his foot and missed a playoff game.

And at the beginning of the next season, September 22, 2019, he tore his meniscus and had knee surgery, with three games (three to four weeks) missing.

In a game like soccer, torn ACLs, MCLs, and meniscus can happen at any time. A teammate or opponent can fall on your leg and simply flex your joint beyond its ability to articulate.

However, what we can learn from Malik is not to play through pain. He played with a torn labrum and hernia during the college football playoffs. And obviously he tensed his hips and then played through the pain, came back too early and tensed it again.

A few things people don't think about to avoid injury are to stay well hydrated. As we exercise, our body temperature rises and we sweat to keep our core temperature cool.

If we are not adequately hydrated, our muscles do not have enough water, which makes muscle fatigue worse and puts us at greater risk of injury. Water also helps your blood carry oxygen and essential nutrients to all of the cells in your body, making hydration a vital part of recovery.

Another way to reduce the risk of injury is to turn off the autopilot. What I mean by that is, when we have the basic mechanics of moving down, we sort of go on autopilot and stop focusing on the basics of the move.

This is the reason why people throw their backs out when lifting weights etc. So it's a good idea to slow down occasionally and focus on the mechanics of your movements in order to strengthen your muscle memory with the right basics.

S.Tips for Preventing Injury According to URMC: (1)

• Develop a fitness plan that includes cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and flexibility.
• Take turns exercising different muscle groups and exercising every other day.
• Let it cool down properly after training or exercising. It should take twice as long as the warm up.
• Drink enough. Drink water to avoid dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
• Stretching exercises can improve the muscles' ability to contract and perform, reducing the risk of injury. Any stretch should start slowly until you reach a point of muscle tension. Stretching shouldn't be painful. Press and hold each distance for up to 20 seconds.
• Use the correct equipment or equipment, and wear shoes that provide support and can correct certain foot problems that could lead to injury.
• Learn the correct techniques to play your sport.
• Take a rest when you are tired. Avoid exercise when you are tired or in pain.
• Always take your time with strength training and go through the full range of motion with each repetition.
• If you've sustained a sports injury, make sure you undergo adequate rehabilitation before resuming strenuous activity.

About the author:

Justin Hilbert is a Florida writer with 20 years experience in the sports and health niche. He had the opportunity to work as editor-in-chief. His skills include communication and social media marketing. Justin has a technical degree in web development.

Ref:

(1) "Prevention of Sports Injuries – Health Encyclopedia – University …" https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=85&contentid=P00935. Accessed November 11, 2020.