Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation: Strategies for Maintaining Physical Health and Recovering from Injuries.
ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT.
Let’s talk about something that nobody wants but is common among us all, injuries. Preventative action is always the best medicine but sometimes s*** happens. How can you bounce back stronger than before? How can you get through the injury? Turn that disappointment into an opportunity not a career ending moment.
So, if you are reading this and you are currently injured? Then damn… that sucks… but let’s get you back to your winning ways! If you are reading this and you aren’t injured. Don’t get too comfortable because an injury can happen anytime, anywhere. Let’s think proactively on the injury front!
Here are 5 key strategies to help you prepare for success:
Warm-up and cool-down properly: This may sound basic, but trust me, it's essential. Warming up before exercising helps to get your blood flowing, increases your heart rate, and prepares your muscles for the work ahead. Cooling down after exercise is just as important, as it allows your heart rate and breathing to return to normal, and helps prevent muscle soreness. Even if you are injured, you can still increase your heart rate, get your breathing right or even stretch other parts of the body.
Build strength gradually: It can be tempting to go hard and fast when starting a new workout routine, but that's a surefire way to get injured. Instead, build strength gradually over time. This will give your body a chance to adapt to the new demands you're placing on it and reduce your risk of injury. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.
Listen to your body: Your body knows best, so pay attention to how it's feeling. If you feel pain or discomfort, don't push through it. Less sleep, high stress, poor nutrition are all factors that can contribute to an injury. Fuel your body the right way to prevent an injury from occurring first. Take the rest day if your body is telling you!
Work on your weaknesses: This one can be tough to hear, but it's important. We all have areas of our body that are weaker than others, and ignoring those weaknesses can lead to imbalances and injuries. So, identify your weak spots and work on them. If you are currently injured then turn this into that opportunity to finally work on that weakness you know too well.
Train your mind: Injuries are going to happen to everyone throughout their life. If you haven’t had one yet then be sure to know you will have something at some point. But this point is the one that will get you back quicker and stronger than your competitor. Your mental resilience is key with injuries. Yes it sucks that you get injured, is that going to change? No. So don’t dwell on that, think how you can use this time to improve on other things. If you can’t train with the team, maybe you can watch from the side and see the game from a different angle. Maybe you have more time to watch the game film and see things that you didn’t before. Maybe it’s time to work on life things away from the game. Don’t look at it as a bad thing, look at it as an opportunity to put your energy into something else!
There you have it, folks! These 5 strategies will help you stay injury-free and recover quickly if you do get injured. Remember, taking care of your body is the best way to achieve your fitness goals, and it's a lifelong journey. So, be kind to yourself, listen to your body, and have fun along the way!
