Rehab, or rehabilitation. I’m not sure I have ever met someone who enjoys doing their rehab? They may not mind it, but I am sure they would prefer to be doing other things. Take it back another step, nobody wants to get injured! However, time and time again I see people revolving around the same demoralising cycle. It looks a little like this.
- Get an injury
- Take time out
- Begin Rehab (half heartedly)
- Fail to complete rehab because “It feels okay now”
- Get injured again.
Break The Cycle Before It’s Even Started
I’m not saying you are going to enjoy doing any more than rehab. I am saying it will benefit you in the long run, prevent injury AND you can continue all other training whilst you do it.
I’m talking about “prehab” and injury prevention of course. Taking measures to avoid injury, doing the little things that ensure a long term ability to perform injury free. This doesn’t mean I am going to give a long list of exercises for you to do for 30 reps 3 times a day. There are many ways to decrease your risk of injury, but what is the most important?
Best Methods of Injury Prevention
The following recommendations are taken from an article by PA Coles this year (view here). The study was originally for elite sports teams, therefore I have removed any methods relating to squat selection / recruitment.
- Load Management. As with any program, gradual progression in loadings and overload are essential. It is also important to ensure athletes have been exposed to levels higher to that of their competition.
- Athletic Development. This title casts a rather large net. Essentially, the more well rounded you are and developed you are as a complete athlete will decrease risk of injury. Too much of a bias towards strength, CV or other components of athleticism may become a big risk.
- Movement Efficiency. You may be big, strong, fast and fit, but can you move effectively and efficiently to produce the skills needed. Inability to move correctly can inhibit technique and performance. In turn, an increased risk of injury.
- Injury Prevention Exercises. This is all the extra little exercises you can do alongside your training. I could go down the rabbit hole here, but I will try and save that for another post! Some studies have found injury prevention programmes to decrease ROI by 30%.
- Correct Rehab From Injury. Going right back to the start of this post. If you do pick up an injury, one of the best ways to prevent it from happening again is to DO YOUR REHAB PROPERLY. This is not just doing the exercises, you must respect time frames and limitations.
- Luck. Injuries are not completely avoidable, nothing really is.
Use the Top 2 Inches
In my opinion, all of the above fall into one category. Smart Training. Don’t just do all the fancy stuff, do the basics and manage your body and training sensibly. Remember injuries are not 100% avoidable, however you can significantly reduce your ROI by employing these methods.
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