You can reduce your risk of injuries, even though you cannot fully prevent injuries from occurring.
Firstly, it is important to ensure you have sufficient strength, power and endurance for the task or sporting activity you are doing.
Secondly, you need to expose yourself to the task/sport regularly and consistently in varied ways. It is important that you build this up gradually by loading tissues or increasing your activity by no more than 10% per week.
It is important to plan for worst case scenarios. I.E. do movements that feel a bit less normal/out of your comfort zone. For example, lifting in different ways, with forces going through our joints in different ways. This information challenges outdated advice on lifting with certain postures. It is important that our body is prepared for the potential factors that may occur during a task or sporting activity.
Finally, rest and recovery is vital. This must include good nutrition, sleep and looking after our mental health as well as physically resting.
Most injuries occur with new activities, increasing a load to a tissue (muscle/ligament/tendon) too quickly, where we could argue the body has not been prepared well enough! The stronger and fitter you are, the more resilient your tissues are to different mechanical forces.
Need more advice on how to prepare and prevent injuries? Aiming to take up a new activity, sport or job role?
Call Harbourside now and book into see one of our Specialist Physiotherapists!
Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates!
Comments