My name is Ashleigh Dodd and I am a fully qualified Sports therapist, who will be regularly writing some columns about injuries, injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation for the health and fitness page. Please feel free to email me if you have any injuries you would like me to feature, or if you just need any questions answering about any of your injuries.
How to stay injury free
We all love to exercise, yet somehow we always manage to wake up and take our first stretches with an agonising ache here and there! Injury prevention is the main key, which many of us slip up on from time to time, especially me; being a culprit offender of skipping the odd stretch! So I have listed below some top tips to help keep your injuries at bay.
Eat to beat
Those exercise lovers know the importance of food and how it revolves around their training! Well the same goes for injury prevention, especially the importance of eating the right foods. Studies have shown that antioxidant rich foods help to banish DOMS (otherwise known as delayed onset of muscles soreness). This means that getting your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is a must! Any foods rich in vitamins A and C are a good start. Omega 3 rich foods are also a winner, and also speed up the healing process. You can find omega 3 within fish, beans, olive oil, and flaxseed.
Don’t brace yourself
Many people think that injury prevention requires the use of a bandage or brace before they have even injured themselves, or even begun setting a foot on the treadmill! This is not the case. More often than not, they are used as a psychological crutch and will only alter the pull of the muscles; which may cause future problems. Spend your money instead on what is causing you the pain in the first place by going to see a sports therapist.
Stretching
Although stretching does not prevent injury completely, it is certainly a good idea to take your muscles through a full range of movement before you begin an activity. I would suggest going for a light jog or low intensity exercise for 5-10 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of stretching. This will help to increase both heart rate and breathing preparing you for the safe functioning of your heart, lungs, and muscles during the more vigorous exercise that will follow. This will also help to reduce the muscle and joint soreness that you may experience during early stages of your exercise routine.
Sharing is caring
Don’t ignore your body. Get any aches and pains seen to early on by a therapist, otherwise it can put stress on to other areas of the body. We do not want future problems! Regular massage is a good idea, not only for helping you to recover for your next training session; but also for relaxation. The resting periods between each activity you take part in plays an important part, as your body needs time to recover for your next training session.
Chasing pavements
Varying the surface that you run on will help to reduce impact upon your joints. Running on grass, trails, roads and pavements will allow your body to adapt. This is a great tip for those who suffer with back problems; avoid permanent road running!
Footwear facts
Buying the correct trainers is extremely important for injury prevention. Try to visit a running specialist shop that provides biomechanical analysis of your footwork pattern. You should always replace your trainers every 600 miles or so before they stop providing the best support. One of the most common reasons for injury begins with the footwear!
Thanks for reading guys, and please feel free to ask questions in the comments section at any point for any further tips or questions that need answering.
By Ashleigh Dodd Sports Therapist BSC (HONS) MSST
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