Injuries can happen at any level of fitness. Older people can walk along and break a hip or bend over and hurt their back due to weaker bones. Younger people can receive injury straining muscles from exercise or by clumsily falling over. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, your body is not indestructible– I’m talking to all you young people out there.
A notion assumed to be true is: stretching prevents injuries. Studies have been done over the last 25 years to try figuring out if stretching actually keeps us from getting injured. As much as I want to be able to tack on a true or false claim to this statement, the fact is, nothing conclusive has come from the research. Stretching hasn’t been an obvious factor to stop injuries from occurring, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have other benefits (see yoga stretching post).
But what actions do help us avoid getting injured?
- Warm up before starting exercise where you could suddenly overuse a muscle in one motion. Dynamic (mobile as opposed to static stretching) movements are best.
- Cool down after exercise with static stretching loosens limbs that tighten during strenuous exercise. After running, I like to stretch my calves so they’re not tight the rest of the day.
- HYDRATE. Probably one of the most underrated ways to prevent injury & one that I often struggle to remember as extremely important!! Check out ThermoFlask for a larger, more cost-effective water bottle than Hydros. + they come with a protecting sleeve which saves counters and the bottle from dings.
- Increase flexibility. I will be the first to say, I am not ‘naturally’ flexible in the slightest, but I have consistently worked on it for years now & can safely say I can (sometimes) touch my toes! That may be a piece of cake for you but I take it as a win! If you are less flexible like me, use a band to work on a variety of flexibility training. Toe-touching has been the best way I have avoided hamstring injury. & trust me friends, my husband can attest to the struggle of a hamstring injury. Key Note: strengthening + stretching hamstrings protects your ACL (a knee ligament) & prevents hamstring pulls.
- Work on balance starting with core stability to aid in minimizing trips and falls. A good test of balance you can try is untying your shoe standing on one foot!
- Alternate exercising muscle groups. You know the saying, “there’s never too much of a good thing,”? Well there can be when you only work out legs/glutes or strictly upper body everyday. The issue is, working out muscles that are sore from the previous day can tend to strain them or over exert them— hence injury ensues. Try a workout plan that uses different body parts each day.
- Wear good shoes!!! Let me stop you right there if you’re thinking your casual Adidas or Nike trainers are the perfect example of a ‘good shoe’. Low support trainers do not provide the quality you need to actually keep or improve foot health! My absolute favorite piece of advice to you no matter your age: foot support is not only good for your feet, it affects up to your shins, knees, hips, back, and neck. So basically…your whole body. Brooks, Hoka, & Saucony are a few shoe brands I live and breathe by.
Depending on your age, some of these tips may not be your bread and butter. At any rate, if we can take a couple and incorporate them into our day for even just 5-10 minutes, we can avoid many unwanted pains and injuries!
Friends, don’t forget the importance of nourishing through prevention!
