Stay in the Game With These Injury Prevention Tips

Whether you’re a hardcore CrossFitter, regular runner, or other type of disciplined athlete or someone just trying to cultivate healthier habits, building and maintaining a sustainable workout routine is crucial for overall health and vitality for the body. While consistency and sustainability are fundamental to success in any exercise or training program, taking steps to prevent injuries is crucial.

• Warm Up: It’s no surprise that muscles work better when they are warm, as there’s greater pliability in your muscle fibers, so there’s an improvement in your movement mechanics and coordination. You can perform self-myofascial release with a foam roller or lacrosse ball and dynamic stretching, which are great ways to warm up your body before exercise or activity.
• Use Proper Technique: It’s critical to learn the proper techniques and exercises for your particular goals or activities. You can always seek professional coaching to minimize your risk of injury. Our doctors and corrective exercise specialists at Denton Sports Chiropractic can assess your movement mechanics and help you with your technique.
• Progress Gradually: The body will adapt to the demands placed upon it. To avoid injury when training, it’s crucial to gradually increase intensity and duration so your body has time to adapt. If you’re not sure how to progress your programming safely, seek the assistance of a professional.
• Rest and Recovery: Typically, people don’t like to prioritize rest or recovery, particularly when they are motivated in their sport. However, resting your body between workouts or activities is vital. That’s because rest allows it to recover between workouts or activities and helps prevent injury while you’re reaching your goals. Ensuring you get enough sleep, eating a nutrient-dense diet, and managing stress are great ways to incorporate rest and recovery into your lifestyle.
• Cross-Training: Highly common, repetitive stress injuries result from muscle imbalances and are found in competitive athletes and couch potatoes. Muscle imbalances can develop when the body uses a set of muscles more often because of activity or is held in a position for an extended period. To help prevent the overuse of specific muscles and reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries, we recommend including various exercises in your routine, such as cardio, weightlifting, and mobility.
• Stay Hydrated: An average of 60% of our bodies are made of water, as is almost 80% of muscles. Drinking plenty of water has many benefits for the body (including digestion, weight loss, and detoxification) and is vital for joint and muscle health.
• Use Proper Equipment: When starting a routine, use recommended equipment to avoid injury. In particular, your shoes should fit you well, and any sports equipment should be in good condition and suitable for your athletic activity.
• Stretching & Mobility: Incorporating a stretching and mobility routine into your exercise programming or activities will help improve overall flexibility and reduce the risk of muscle strains.
• Listen to Your Body: Pain and discomfort are signals from the body that something is not right. Avoid “pushing through” any pain and take care of it promptly to avoid worsening or creating new injuries. Make an appointment immediately to see one of our doctors if you are experiencing any pain or discomfort with exercise before it leads to further injury. If you aren’t experiencing pain, seek preventative maintenance care and keep your body moving and feeling well.