PLAY IT SAFE
As the snow has finally melted all of us are anxious to get outside and engage in our favourite activity. Whether it’s gardening or golf, competitive mountain biking or recreational running, don’t let an injury put you on the sidelines for any of your short season. An injury free lifestyle allows us to focus on getting the most out of life, gives us the ability to train consistently and to continue having fun at sporting activities. Unfortunately as we age our inbuilt mechanisms that protect us from injuries get slack and we get more complacent. When taking this into consideration and coupled with the fact that some of us train more than ever, and take sport more and more seriously, it's no wonder that injuries in sporting activities are rife and generally accepted as inevitable. Sport and recreational activities are a major part of many people’s lives. They promote fitness, fun and socialisation. However, there is also a risk of injury associated with many of these activities.
It is a common misconception that injuries are an acceptable part of any sporting activity. However this is not the case. By taking appropriate measures we can significantly reduce the risk of injuries sustained while engaging in sporting or recreational activities, and in some cases prevent them entirely. Here are some practical tips on how to reduce your risk of injury in sport, keep you out of the physiotherapy clinic and participating in the sport you love not only for this season, but for life. As always, it is action that produces results, so read on but more importantly "apply".
Apart from the actual physical effects of an injury, there are many broader consequences suffered as a result, i.e. the inability to work, and psychological factors that can reduce a person’s quality of life and impact on their family. There are also significant health costs associated with injury, therefore it is vital we try and prevent them occurring.
There are some simple steps we can take ourselves to reduce the risk of sustaining an injury during sport or recreation. The guidelines listed below can also be applied to many activities we do daily around the home to help reduce the risk of strains, sprains and overuse injuries.
WARM UP
This helps to prepare the body for exercise, and often consists of gentle aerobic exercise. It should be gentle and slow to the point of very light sweating. The warm up causes an increased circulation of blood to the muscles about to exercise and helps reduce stiffness. The warm up period usually lasts 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the exercise and individual differences. As we age the warm up seems to take longer, particularly if engaging in high intensity exercise.
STRETCH
Static stretching is a very important part of injury prevention. Stretching should be done during the day when your muscles are at their normal resting state, mid- afternoon or evenings are perfect times. If done before an endurance event it can actually hamper your performance. There is one exception to this rule, if you have a short, tight muscle which limits your range of motion during an activity, i.e. tight back muscles restricting sufficient rotation during the golf swing, then you would benefit from stretching the tight muscles prior to engaging in the sport.
Warming up before stretching increases the blood flow to the muscles as outlined above, making your stretches more effective. The stretches must be both general and specific to the sport you are preparing to do. It is important to hold the stretches for 30-60 seconds. You should feel a gentle stretch, with no pain or discomfort. The stretch feeling should reduce as the muscle adapts, at this point you can stretch a little bit further and hold for a further 30 seconds. DO NOT BOUNCE. Bouncing can cause tiny tears in the muscle, which can lead to further injury and reduced flexibility in the long term.
TAPING/ BRACING
Taping or bracing specific parts of the body may be done for two reasons. It may be used to help prevent injury occurring in high risk activities (i.e. Ankle taping in basketball) or it is more often used as part of the rehabilitation of an injured joint to protect it from further injury as a person returns to exercise after injury. This should only be done on the advice of a health care professional.
EXERCISING
Listen to your body! 80% of injuries are caused by doing too much too soon. Your cardiovascular system may be very fit from running 4 times a week, but if you then change your focus to cycling and ride 80km for your first ride you will likely end up with an injury. Although your heart and lungs can handle the exercise, your tissues need to adapt to the load you place on them. Every new stimulus must be integrated progressively: hills, intensity, volume, surface changes, technique alterations and even shoes. If you want to build your fitness, be sure to increase up to a maximum of 10% per week in terms of volume. Take rest weeks every 4th week, allowing your body time to adapt and benefit from the training. Integrating cross training activities will strengthen muscles that are not used as often during your primary sport, improve your flexibility and keep your interest high for the sport you love.
Other measures which can help reduce the risk of injury include the use of appropriate protective equipment (i.e. Helmet, mouth guard, wrist guards, and shin guards), use of suitable equipment including proper fit, being aware of the surface you are exercising on and modify where able, ensuring correct biomechanical technique.
OTHER TIPS
- Avoid Exercising when tired
- Ensure supposed minor injuries are treated correctly to prevent them recurring or from developing into more major injuries
- STOP if you experience pain. Ignore the old saying, “no pain, no gain”
- Execute appropriate diet and hydration
- Ensure you have appropriate footwear
- Whenever starting a new activity, start slowly and gradually build up.
Implementing these tips is a simple change in activities, you will feel better and enjoy your favourite summer activity, and hopefully stay out of the physiotherapy clinic, the doctor office and the emergency room! It is important to seek advice from an appropriate health care professional prior to starting an exercise program or if you wish to discuss specific injury prevention strategies, including strengthening, stretching and training progressions.
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