5 Simple Ways to Reduce Risk of Sports Injury

Unfortunately, injuries are a reality most athletes will have to deal with at some point in their lives. Whether you’re a professional, breaking world records, recreational or weekend warrior, the risk of injury is ever present.

Even if you don’t think of yourself as an athlete per say, but do physically exerting work, such as shoveling snow, splitting wood, landscaping, construction etc., keep reading as these concepts apply top you too. Think of these tasks or activities as workouts. So really, the term sports injury should really be “movement” or “exercise” injury and can happen to anyone.

The good news is that you have a lot of power over your health and there are things you can do to reduce the risk of injury. Of course there’s no guarantee you can completely prevent it from ever happening. There are always factors outside your control that are possible. But when you control what you CAN control, you can better manage what you can’t control.

Here are five basic proven ways to reduce the risk of injuries. As you’ll see, this is not a sexy or exciting list of advanced protocols. There are no secrets or shortcuts. As with pretty much everything in life, it all comes down to consistency and discipline with the basics. And that, I believe, is the real “secret” or magic formula.

1. Dynamic Stretching Before Playing

Dynamic stretching is stretching that involves movement. It stimulates blood and fluid movement, increases flexibility, stimulates nerve and muscle firing, and lubricates joints. Think of it as priming the system getting it ready to work.

It is an essential part of exercise warm up routine and should always be done beforehand.

Some examples of dynamic stretching are:

• Leg swings (front to back and side to side)

• Walking lunges

• High knees

• Jumping jacks

• Trunk rotations with arm swings

• Arm circles

A good routine would be to spend at least five to ten minutes dynamic stretching before a workout. Easy movements like walking and light jogging are also great for warming up in addition to dynamic stretching.

2. Static Stretching After Playing

Static stretching is holding a pose or position in which a muscle or group of muscles is lengthened or stretched. The stretch is usually held for about 30-60 seconds. It’s called “static” because there is no movement involved in the stretch. Once you’re in the position, you remain still.

This has a very different purpose than dynamic stretching, which requires movement. Static stretching should always be done AFTER a workout or playing a sport as part of the cool-down. Static stretching maintains and potentially increases flexibility and relaxes muscles.

This is why it should be done after the activity.

A common mistake is that people will static stretch before working out or playing a sport, if they do any stretching at all.

Think of it like this. You wouldn’t want to cool down and relax the tissues before playing. Beforehand, you’d want to turn the system on and get things fired up and ready for action. After the activity is the time to relax the tissues, calm the system and maintain flexibility.

It’s easy to skip static stretching after physical activity because we want to move on to the next thing, go home, go to work etc. I understand people have busy lives and often have to squeeze in a workout when they can. But it would be better to cut your workout down by five minutes to allow time to stretch than not do it at all. Think of the stretching as part of your workout.

Spend five to ten minutes static stretching after playing a sport or working out. Keep the level of stretch tension comfortable. Don’t go too far to where you feel burning or discomfort. Hold positions for 30 seconds and then release.

3. Proper Hydration

Hydration is essential for all aspects of health and physiology. The human body is actually made more of water than anything else! It is the most abundant molecule in the body.

One of the many functions of water in the musculoskeletal system is lubrication. Hyaluronic acid is a substance involved in lubricating the layers of fascia throughout the body. One of it’s main roles is to bind water in order to allow the tissues to slide freely over each other during movement. If dehydrated, the layers won’t move as easily affecting the overall biomechanics and even affecting communication in the nervous system.

Dehydration can cause muscle cramping and tension in the fascia. When these tissues are tense, you are more likely to have strains, sprains, tears and even bone fractures.

There are different theories and guidelines about water intake, but not much research demonstrating what’s correct. One simple guideline to follow is to take half your bodyweight in pounds and drink that number of ounces of water per day. So for example if you weigh 100 pounds, you’d drink 50 ounces of water per day.

A good, very basic gauge is to check your urine. It should be light pale yellow to clear. Dark urine is an indication of dehydration. And although clear urine can indicate good hydration, if your urine is always clear no matter how much water you’re drinking it may indicate other issues so check with your doctor.

If you are sweating a lot and rehydrating, be mindful of electrolytes as well. There are lot’s of electrolyte supplements on the market now, but sea salt in your water can do the trick to keep it simple. Electrolyte needs will also depend on your diet. If you’re on blood pressure medication, check with your physician before taking electrolyte supplements.

Water should be clean and filtered and preferably not in plastic containers.

4. Sleep

Sleep is when your body heals and repairs itself. It is essential for all aspects of health to get adequate sleep. By adequate, I mean quantity and quality.

Inadequate sleep has been shown to cause:

• Decreased coordination

• Decreased reaction times

• Poor decision making

• Inhibited learning

• Irritability

• Decreased ability and accuracy

• Faster exhaustion

• Weakened immune system

• Increased injury risk

Standard sleep guidelines say adults should get seven hours or more of sleep per night. This should be an absolute minimum for an athlete who has a higher physical demand and need for recovery. Adult athletes should aim for at least eight hours per night.

Teenage athletes should aim to sleep for eight to ten hours per night, eight being an absolute minimum with a real target of nine to ten hours. Studies have shown that less than eight hours in student athletes increases the risk of sports injury.

I know it can be difficult with busy lives, family, work, school, etc. But think of sleep as sacred and if you’re not getting enough, you’re literally robbing yourself of precious recovery time.

5. Good Mechanics and Posture On and Off the Field

Poor posture in daily life can lead directly to a whole host of painful musculoskeletal problems such as strains, herniated discs, headaches and joint degeneration. Something that’s often overlooked though, is that bad posture can also cause vulnerability in your tissues that can set you up for sports or exercise injuries.

Posture is a huge problem in the modern world due to the use of technology. I could write an entire series of books on postural issues, but I’ll keep it simple.

Looking down at a phone for long periods of time or slouching over a computer screen will create unnatural repetitive stress in the tissues leading to distortions in the joints and spinal discs, tension in the muscles and fascia and faulty basic movement patterns.

Since free and efficient movement and function is a major factor in sports performance, the last thing you want is to have restrictions due to poor posture habits.

It goes without saying to be mindful of posture and mechanics while playing/exercising. Strive to always refine your technique in the activity you’re participating in. For example, if you’re a martial artist, focus on technical precision instead of brute force. This is not only important to protect yourself from injury, but also for improving performance.

In Conclusion

Although this is a pretty boring list, the strategies are powerful and their importance cannot be overstated. You don’t even need to spend money or have fancy equipment! They can actually save you from spending money on medial expenses in the long run.

There is evidence for all the above points in the scientific literature. But more importantly, they are common sense concepts that if consistently followed, will not only decrease your risk of injury, but can also improve your performance and overall health.