Prevent Fitness Injuries

From professional athlete to weekend warrior, injury prevention can have different and sometimes opposite meanings. But looking at musculoskeletal injuries from running, weight training or recreational sports is on the rise. As people train more frequently at ages above 40 years old, the chance for a fitness injury is even greater. The question is: Can we reduce or prevent this?

The second reason for a doctors visit in the U.S. is back pain. Common sports injuries are sprained ankles and anterior cruciate injuries to the knees. These types of musculoskeletal injuries are preventable.

PREVENTION

Lesson 1: Be consistent in your training or exercise. Decreased fitness is the second most common reason for injury. Your muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and heart need stressing to maintain tone and function. With inconsistent training they just don't hold up well and the risk of injury goes up.

Lesson 2:Stretching vs Warm-ups

Stretching for people who are less flexible will serve them better in injury prevention but people who are normal in flexibility will do little to prevent injury. So stretching for the masses to prevent injury is out. Warm-ups before exercise helps improve performance, less muscle soreness and less injury. 8 minutes on an elliptical, bike, push-ups and crunches serve as a basic warm-up. To prevent leg injuries look at an 8 minute sample routine:

Sample Routines

Lesson 3:Focus on preventing what you are prone to.

If ankle sprains are a problem try balance training to strengthen the ankles, ankle brace for more aggressive training, or replace your running shoes every 6 months or 300 miles. If you feel you are injury prone then a musculoskeletal examination from your chiropractor is advised.

A Plan

A good 5-8 minute warm-up program, stretch if you are tight, ice an initial injury 20 minutes every 2-3 hours the first 24 hours and be consistent in your training will go a long way toward injury prevention, and keep you on your feet happy-healthy and pain-free.