“The best defence is a good offense” – Lots of people
“When it comes to treating an injury, the easiest solution is to prevent the initial injury” – Tom the Physio
No, I’m not trying to tell anybody to not play sport or enjoy themselves. In fact, I encourage everyone reading this to be as active as they desire. Let me show you how beneficial and important injury prevention is. Studies have shown that the rate of ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injuries are increasing with up to 1 in every 25 athletes injuring their ACL. An injury that has a extended recovery and impact on someone’s day to day life like an ACL injury is one everyone obviously wants to avoid. And although freak accidents can occur, most injuries (including an ACL tear) can largely be prevented through being well prepared.
Being well prepared doesn’t mean wrapping yourself in bubble wrap. Being well prepared means making your body not only strong, but flexible and aerobically fit.
Pre-season is currently in full swing for the winter sports, but the aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility being developed now should just be the starting block or stepping stone to a stronger, fitter, more flexible injury free athlete.
Whether you are Jimbo the footy player or Jill the Netball/Footy/Soccer/all round superstar, preventing an injury that can derail your whole season is so important, and it doesn’t have to feel like a second job!! A simple warm-up program involving 10 exercises created by FIFA has been shown to reduce the risk of injuries by 35% for amateur athletes, and that’s just if you warm up correctly!!!
If we take the idea that a warm-up can decrease the chance of injury by such a big amount, imagine what can be achieved during preseason and throughout the season by working on a combination of strength, endurance and flexibility. This means including things like strength training sessions into your week as well as a Pilates or yoga session or two to help keep supple.
As preseason continues to roll along and Round 1 begins to loom large, it’s important to feel prepared for what is hopefully a fruitful season. As another wise person once said: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”.
If you want to get on top of your preseason and avoid any injury concerns, be sure to contact us on (03) 5872 2221 and we'll be happy to make a time where one of our friendly physios can discuss what you can do to keep yourself ahead of the pack.
Yours in health,
Tom
Tune in next time as we will explore what to do if you have injured yourself and you think it is a significant injury