Injury Prevention

By Steve Elton

Endurance athletes log many miles training for their events. Some athletes have a plan while others are under the tutelage of coaches and mentors. Regardless of how one trains, one thing is certain-every athlete is bound to deal with injury at one time or another. Many athletes seem to deal with injury as a ‘badge of courage'. Injuries are seen as inevitable and something to be dealt with as a part of sport.

While its true that all sport carries with it the risk of injury, many injuries can be avoided by through proper preparation and training.

• 1. Have a plan- I consult with numerous athletes who have a haphazard approach to training. And, this is a sure way to get ones self injured. One of the simplest ways to avoid injury is to periodize your training. This simple means that your training is broken down into specific phases. It helps you focus on different parts of your training during different times of the year, i.e. building a base in the pre-season, and helps you to direct your efforts towards goal races. In this way, you avoid logging ‘junk' mileage that leads to repetitive trauma injuries.

• 2. Don't neglect your core- Many athletes now know that core training is essential to a healthy body. Still many do not. The core is basically your torso, shoulders and hips. It has been well documented that by maintaining a strong core you can help prevent repetitive trauma injuries to you arms and legs. How does this work? Think of a beautiful house without a proper foundation. Eventually, the walls will sag and crack. Basic core support is formed between your deep abdominal muscles and lumbar spine muscles. For your arms this base of support is your shoulder blade muscles, or what we call the scapular base. For your legs this base of support is your hip muscles. Developing core, scapular and hip stability can be achieved by performing a few simple exercises to each of these muscle groups. Once you create a stable platform for your arms and legs to move upon, the injuries that once plagued your arms and legs will be significantly reduced.

• 3. Stretch-To many athletes the subject of stretching is almost taboo. But visit any professional training room and you will quickly see that flexibility training is a priority in most athletes' training regime. One reason to include flexibility training in your routine is that muscles work best at their optimal length. That means that a muscle that is shortened is not able to exert its maximum amount of force. So, it makes sense to stretch a muscle to be able to function at its best. Some athletes, though, are afraid of overstretching the muscle. Two things, though, are going to prevent you from doing this. First of all pain! A normal person is not going to stretch a muscle beyond his or her pain threshold. Secondly, the muscle has a feedback mechanism built into it called the muscle spindle. If the muscle is stretched too much, or too quickly, it will respond by contracting. ) The other reason to include flexibility training into your program is that tissues, most notably collagen that makes up the majority of your tendons and ligaments, loses elasticity with age. So, to maintain the normal amount of joint function as you get older, you have to maintain the elasticity in your tendons. Once elasticity is lost you not only lose maximal functioning of the joint, but also leave your self susceptible to tendonitis and possibly worse.

Below are a few samples of core exercises and a few great stretches:

Basic core exercises

Ball superman- lie on a stability ball with your hands and feet shoulder width apart. Tighten your abdomen. Lift your arms as high as possible while looking forward. Hold 5 seconds. Do 2 sets of 10 repeats.

Ball bridge-lie on your back with your feet atop a stability ball. Tighten your abdomen. Lift your hips toward the ceiling and hold 5 seconds. Do 2 sets of 10 repeats.

Ball walkout-start lying belly down on a stability ball. Tighten your abdomen and walk your hands out till just your feet are touching the ball. Keep your spine straight! Slowly walk hands backward to starting position.

Scapular stability exercises

ytw- lie on a comfortable spot on the floor and lift your arms to make the letter Y, hold 5 seconds and then make the letter T, hold 5 seconds and then make the letter W holding 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times or to fatigue. Perform 2 sets.

Dynamic plank- lie on your stomach with your elbows underneath you and palms together. Lift your hips so only your toes and forearms are touching the ground. Slowly move your body forward and back ten times using your upper body and then rest 15-30 seconds. Repeat side-to-side and clockwise counter clockwise.

Hip stability exercises

Single leg plank- lie on your stomach and tighten your abdominal muscles. Bring your elbows underneath you with your palms together. Lift your torso so your forearms and toes are the only parts of your body touching the floor. Lift one leg 4 inches toward the ceiling keeping your knee straight. Hold for 10 seconds and then repeat to opposite side. Perform 3-5 repeats each leg.

Side plank- lie on your side and tighten your abdominal muscles. Bring the elbow beneath in line with your shoulders. Lift your torso so only your feet and one forearm are touching the ground. Hold 10 seconds and perform 3-5 repeats to each side.

A few great stretches

Lateral squat- spread your legs apart as far as possible and keep your toes facing forward. Bring your hands in front of you together and then slowly squat to one side letting your knee bend and the weight sink into your heel. The other leg should stay straight. Hold 10 seconds and perform 3-5 repeats to each leg.

Spiderman- starting from push-up position place your right foot just outside your right hand. Now slowly try and bring your elbow to the floor. Hold 10 seconds and perform 3-5 repeats to each side.