HOW TO DECREASE YOUR RISK FOR INJURY
PEOPLE TEND TO GET INJURED DUE TO ERRORS IN:
Load Management
Lifting Technique/Mechanics
Recovery Status
Sleep Habits
Nutrition
1. LOAD MANAGEMENT AND TECHNIQUE
Countless injuries come from load management issues each year. These types of injuries occur from exceeding the capacity that the body has to resist and adapt to a certain amount of force. Either in a single moment or drawn out over a longer course of time.
To counteract this, we must be aware of how much stress we are putting through our bodies each day/week. So whether you are trying out a new CrossFit gym, running program, or a new sport that you haven’t done in a long time, you must give your body ample time to adjust and adapt to the stresses being placed on it. Otherwise, injury is likely to ensue.
Technique plays a large role in load management as well. If you are lifting with poor form, certain areas of your body will be getting more load than they should be and this can quickly lead to areas around them getting “flared up” and painful.
Sport/workout-specific warm-ups are key here because they promote activation of the muscles we intend to use and allow for better mechanics and load distribution throughout the actual workout.
You can easily get away with no warm-up temporarily, however, it may cause certain muscles to take on more load than they should. This could then lead to the load management issues described above and injury/dysfunction.
2. RECOVERY STATUS, SLEEP AND NUTRITION
Every time you work out, you are essentially breaking down the body. It is not till after the workout when you have nourished the body with quality nutrition, sleep, and managed stress levels that the body is able to fully repair and create beneficial adaptations.
However, if you were to skip one of these components, like having subpar sleep, your body won’t be able to recover as well and your next performance may be impaired, resulting in increased injury risk.
CONCLUSION:
In summary, the low-hanging fruit and action steps to decreasing your injury risk and maximizing your performance are:
Be aware of how much training you are putting in a week
Warm-up appropriately
Train with proper form
Recover well with appropriate sleep, nutrition, and stress management
