Sports Injury Prevention Guide

First understand your body boundaries, then leave 10%-20% safety redundancy for all movements, and finally embed protection details into the entire process before, during, and after exercise. Don’t believe in the myth of “zero injury.” Following this logic can help you avoid more than 90% of non-accidental sports injuries.

I just returned to the gym after a three-month break from training last year. As soon as my mind started to heat up, I rushed straight to my previous 120kg deadlift PR. On the second pull, I felt a pull on my waist. I even struggled to bend down to tie my shoelaces that day. I lay down for three weeks before I dared to move slowly. Later, I talked to a rehabilitation practitioner and he told me that this was a typical "loss of boundary sense". I thought that my abilities were still at the same level as three months ago, leaving no room for buffering for my body. This is not called breaking the limit, but seeking death. Now every time I exercise, I spend two minutes checking my status: Did you stay up late the day before? Shoulders a little stiff? Then just reduce the weight today, or simply switch to low-intensity aerobics, and never push hard. I haven't even had a minor strain in the past six months.

Nowadays, there is a fierce debate on the Internet about warm-up. One group says that you must do 10 minutes of static stretching before exercise to stretch the muscles so as not to pull them. The other group says that static stretching before exercise will reduce the explosive power of muscles and make them prone to injury, so you must do dynamic activation. In fact, both of these statements are correct, it depends on what you practice today. If you plan to take a yoga class today, or do something that requires flexibility such as gymnastics, it’s absolutely fine to do a few minutes of static stretching to open your shoulders and hips in advance. ； But if you want to do sprints or lift heavy weights today, then warm up first with dynamic activations such as jumping jacks and high leg raises. After your body is warmed up, you can just stretch the areas that are prone to tightness. I used to know a sprinter on the provincial team. If he stretched the back of his thigh before a race, his 100-meter time would drop by at least 0.2 seconds, and his feet would become soft when pedaling. This is the reason. Oh, yes, there are still many people who only focus on the big muscle groups during warm-up, and don't care about small parts such as shoulders, wrists, ankles, and knuckles. I played half-court basketball last week. I jumped up to grab a rebound after the first ball.

There is also controversy about protective gear. Some people say that waist and knee pads are necessary for fitness. Some rehabilitation practitioners say that wearing protective gear for a long time will cause the core and surrounding muscles of the knees to degenerate, making them more susceptible to injury. This also depends on the situation: if you are new to squatting and haven’t figured out the movements yet, or if you have to press 20% more weight than usual today, it is absolutely fine to wear waist and knee pads, which can help stabilize your core and reduce the pressure on your knees. ； But if you are training daily and the weight is within your control, then try not to wear it if you can. Relying on your own muscle power is the most reliable protection. I used to have a bodybuilding friend who had been training for three years. He usually wore a waist protector no matter what he practiced. The last time he took off the waist protector and deadlifted 80kg, his waist failed. The core muscles had long been accustomed to relying on the waist protector to exert force, and he had no strength for a long time. If you have old injuries such as sprained feet or lumbar protrusion, then protective gear is a necessity. Don't listen to what others say, "Wearing protective gear means you are weak." Taking good care of your injuries is more important than any appearance.

Don’t believe the nonsense that “no pain means no gain”. Muscle soreness and swelling are normal, but if you experience tingling, numbness, or joint stiffness, stop immediately and don’t force yourself. I met a young man in the gym before. His knees cracked when he squatted and he was still pushing the weight. Finally, he tore his meniscus and he didn't dare to touch the equipment for half a year after the surgery. There is also the pain on the outside of the knee that runners often encounter. When the pain first starts, you stop running for a few days and just roll a foam roller and it will be better. If you have to hold on to increase the mileage, you will end up with iliotibial band syndrome, which may not be completely cured even after half a year of maintenance. By the way, there is no unified standard for the length of stretching. Some people say that each movement can be held for 15 seconds, and some say that it is effective if it takes more than 30 seconds. In fact, ordinary people do not need to be stuck so much. It is enough to feel that the muscles are stretched but not painful. If the flexibility is poor, hold for a while longer, and if the flexibility is good, hold for a while. Whatever makes you feel comfortable. There is no need to be stuck for time like an exam.

There is also "protection during non-exercise periods" that many people ignore. Don't think that injuries only occur during exercise. If you run 20 kilometers on the weekend, go to work in high-rise clothes on Monday, or squat on the ground to wipe the floor for half an hour, you can still injure your knees. Within 48 hours after exercise, your muscles and joints are still in a state of recovery, so don’t make things up. Friends who run at night should not wear all black clothes. My best friend wore all black when running at night last month. She was scratched by an electric car. The driver said he didn’t see her at all and she needed three stitches. Now she wears a jacket with reflective strips and a small flashing light when running at night.

Harmful, in fact, there is no universal prevention guide. In the final analysis, don’t compete with your own body, and don’t compare your results with others. Others can run a full marathon because they have been practicing for several years. It’s weird if you just run for half a month and try to join in the fun of a half marathon without getting injured. After all, most of us ordinary people exercise for physical health, and we are not trying to win the Olympic championship. Slower and more steady is better than anything else.