Being a youngster in sport is both exciting and character building. However, there is nothing more frustrating to young sportsmen and women than getting injured. Every day, parents ask me questions about how to keep their children fit and injury free. I recently shared these 6 Top Tips to Stay Injury Free with a parent and they were surprised how simple the tips were but also how often they forget to do the basics. Check out the list below!
- Listen to Your Body
No-one knows your body better than you do. Feeling more tired than usual or muscles feeling more achy than normal are both signs of over training. You will do yourself no favours by pushing beyond your limits week in week out. This is a sure fire way to getting injured. However, you must be able to tell the difference between true pain and muscles working hard. If you are in pain when you exercise, tell your coach straight away. Let them know what you are feeling and they will be able to advise you on what to do. This doesn’t always mean missing sessions. Your coach may reduce the amount you do in the session or set you a slightly different workout and monitor your response. If your symptoms are persisting for several days after the workout and even when at rest, seek professional advice.
- Eat Well
It’s no secret that eating a healthy diet will help you to train more effectively. Eating a variety of whole foods, complex carbohydrates and lean protein will lead to a strong physique. What I often see is youngsters turning up to sessions eating chocolate bars, sweets and energy drinks thinking it will give them a boost. Whilst these treats are fine to eat on an occasional basis, they definitely should not be eaten right before a training session. The high sugar and /or fat content will make you sluggish and you won’t get the most out of the session. PLEASE AVOID THE VENDING MACHINES!
- 100% Recovery
Whilst it’s important to give 100% in training, it’s just as important to recover 100% between sessions. Now, recovery after exercise is a topic in itself but I think looking after your muscles is the most important. After a hard session, your muscles may tighten up and feel stiff. This is a completely normal response to exercise but to reduce the stiffness, you can do some simply things to help. Stretching can be done after every session paying attention to all muscle groups. Some athletes may also choose to foam roll to help with muscle stiffness. Foam rolling is essentially like a D.I.Y. sports massage and can be done anywhere. Whilst the evidence for foam rolling on injury prevention is not there, it can be a useful tool to help relieve post-exercise soreness. Finally, on this point – sleep. Above all other options, getting a good night’s sleep is the single most important thing you can do. It is the time our bodies use to rest and repair so don’t ignore it!
- Make the Most of Conditioning
At my old swimming club, we did land based training as well as swimming. It seems a bit counterintuitive to train swimmers on dry land but it is essential to build strength and develop sound movement patterns. It also helped our athletes to swim faster and with better technique. If you do one type of sport, your body becomes very efficient at moving in a certain way. This is great for your sport but it can create imbalances with muscles which can eventually lead to overuse injuries. This is why it is so important to condition your body for your sport but also condition out imbalances. The idea of cross training comes into play; think of boxers who do ballet to work on footwork or gymnasts doing rock-climbing to work on their upper body strength.
- Be Consistent
Injuries usually occur because you have done too much too soon or if you are consistently overdoing it. To ensure you stay injury free, you need to attend training regularly and work at a good level during each session. If you miss training on a regular basis or only work hard in certain sessions, your body won’t like it. The body becomes more resilient to injury by working at a consistent level and building on this gradually over time. The key to success is consistency!
- Talk to Your Coaches
I cannot express how important it is to let your coaches know what’s going on. Coaches are pretty good at spotting when you are not performing at your best but they are not psychic. If you are not feeling at your best, let them know. If you are dealing with a stressful situation, let them know. You coach can adjust your session so you still get the best out of it. You should be comfortable talking to any of your coaches about anything that’s bothering you. They can then help you with a plan to overcome it!
By following these 6 Top Tips, your risk of injury will be significantly reduced. You will be able to train to the best of your ability and with confidence.
If you are struggling with an injury or just simply need some advice from a physiotherapist you can get in contact with the team.
Your physio at Scarborough:
Ameeth has had a diverse career working in both public and private sectors as well as high level sport. He has held specialist and advanced practitioner roles concentrating on patients with shoulder and lower back conditions. His main focus was providing diagnostic opinions and advising patients when first and second line treatments had not been effective especially for patients who were keen to avoid surgical intervention. However, when surgery is unavoidable, Ameeth is fiercely passionate about providing patients with high quality post-operative care.
Read more about Ameeth’s physiotherapy skills and experience here.
You can make an appointment to see Ameeth for all types of pain and injury by clicking here or calling us on (07) 3880 1649 and asking to book with Ameeth.
(Blog by Ameeth Ruparelia ; Senior Physio Scarborough Physio and Health)