Preventing injury

Living an active lifestyle can be demanding on the body; you are constantly loading your muscles and putting stress on your joints. Just like with machines, if you work your body too hard, and neglect taking care of it properly, it can break down and you will have to take time off to recover. The good news is that there are many actions you can take to prevent injury, and that is what we are going to discuss today!

How to get back into activity after a while, or for the first time, without getting injured:

We’ve all had periods of inactivity in our lives that force us to start from ground zero, or maybe this is your first time deciding to make exercise a part of your daily life. Whatever your situation is, thinking about how to prevent injury from the get-go is a key step. 

Planning: 

The first step of getting back on the exercise train is to plan what your unique exercise journey is going to look like. To begin, think about your big picture goal; it can be losing weight, gaining muscle, or getting faster. Then once you have a big picture goal, start to think about what you can do to prepare your body to achieve your goal, try to go into as much detail as you can during this step. For example, if your goal is to get your legs stronger, you don’t want to go straight into squats and leg lifts, you probably want to start with some leg stretching or even taking the stairs at work, this preventive work is what will get your leg muscles ready for what is about to come and help you prevent injury. 

Goal Setting: 

The second step to prevent injury when getting back into an exercise routine is to set realistic goals from the beginning. Take a look at our S.M.A.R.T goals article for more on goal setting. Setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely will help you prevent muscle strain, falls, and fatigue. 

Rest: 

Resting is another important, and often neglected, aspect of injury prevention. When you are starting a new exercise regime, it is important to schedule rest days into your plan. You will often hear people talking about active and passive rest days, active rest days are days that you’re still active, but it is at a significantly lower rate than your active days (i.e you take a short walk, or a leisure bike ride), passive rest days are those days where you hang out at home and work or relax. Both active and passive rest is important for your body to repair itself from the loads you put on during your active days, and it is also what will prevent injury in the long run.

Steps to prevent injury once you’re already active:

Stretching: 

Stretching daily is a great way to protect your mobility and independence. Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, which in turn gives more range of motion in the joints. Without the proper range of motion, the muscles shorten and become tight which puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.

If you’re unsure of what stretches you should be doing to prevent injuries unique to your body and the type of activity you perform, consult your doctor, physiotherapist, or kinesiologist for guidance. 

Getting the right gear: 

Having the proper footwear, clothing, and protection is a big key to preventing injury. When you don’t have the right gear you can hurt your musculoskeletal system by overloading your bones or getting direct impact in contact sports. Proper gear also includes wraps and tape jobs on areas that may need some reinforcement, places like wrists or ankles if you have a history of weak joints. Like always, check with your medical professional, coach, or expert to find out if you have the right gear for your activity needs. 

Neuromuscular training: 

Neuromuscular training is just another way to say warm-ups. These warm-ups consist of basic exercises to target balance, strength, and agility before or aside from exercise. These programs are often led by a strength and conditioning coach, a physiotherapist, or someone with relevant experience. Neuromuscular training has been shown to reduce the risk of injury in contact sports such as European handball and basketball, specifically reducing the risk of general injuries by 37% and overuse injuries by 47%.

Injuries are something we all want to avoid, they are not only painful but also detrimental to our training plans. Luckily, the advice listed above along with guidance from professionals can greatly reduce your risk of getting injured in the future.