MYTH VS FACT: Sports Injury Prevention
By: Nathan Stevens, Doctor of Physical Therapy
MYTH: STATIC STRETCHING IS THE BEST WAY TO WARM UP
A proper warm-up is essential for injury prevention, but static stretching isn’t the best way to do it. In fact, static stretching can actually decrease performance and is best saved for after your workout. Dynamic stretching, on the other hand, is one of the best ways to get a proper warm-up. Examples include leg swings (forward, backward, and side to side), walking lunges with a torso twist, high knees and butt kicks, pulling knee to chest, and lateral lunges. There are a lot of options out there, but those should help get you started. A good warm-up should be done right before your activity and last 5-10 minutes, focusing on gradually increasing your heart rate.
FACT: CROSS TRAINING CAN PREVENT INJURIES
If you only run for exercise, you are putting repetitive stress on the same bones, tendons, and muscles. It’s important to strengthen and reduce the impact on your body by varying your exercise routine. It’s recommended to cross training at least twice a week; you can replace a shorter run with a cross training session. Strength training ideas include squats, lunges, and calf raises.You can also incorporate low-impact activities such as swimming, going on the elliptical, or taking a bike ride. The general recommendation for adults is to get 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week. Any way you can do that without overstressing your joints is great.
MYTH: THE MORE ELECTROLYTES, THE BETTER.
Hydration is extremely important, but you don’t always need electrolyte drinks to achieve proper hydration. Studies show even a 2% drop in hydration can compromise aerobic capacity and even cognitive function. If you’re running for less than one hour, you probably don’t need to worry about fluid intake during your run. For runs longer than one hour, especially in hot weather, you should replace both fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat. It’s important to note if you aren’t running long distances or sweating consistently, drinking electrolytes can place stress on your kidneys. If you aren’t going on runs longer than one hour or sweating a lot, electrolytes shouldn’t be an everyday drink.
MYTH: ICE IS BETTER THAN HEAT
Sort of. Research shows ice is good at decreasing inflammation and reducing the speed that our nerves send signals to our brain. If you twist your ankle or hurt your knee, ice can be good at reducing pain initially. However, because reducing inflammation can also slow healing, ice isn’t always the best long-term strategy. Heat, on the other hand, can help bring blood flow to an area and help relax muscles, making it helpful for a stiff or tight area. Ultimately, it mostly comes down to personal preference and what you find helps you the most.
MYTH: NO PAIN, NO GAIN
Pushing through pain isn’t always a good thing. For the average person, if you are experiencing pain that is more than just muscle soreness, it may be a sign that you are overdoing it. Common running injuries include Achilles tendinitis, shin splints, runners’ knee, IT band syndrome, and plantar fasciitis. All these can be a sign of an overuse injury, so if you are feeling pain in the ankle, foot, front or side of knee, or along the shin, it might be time to take a break or reduce your level of activity to allow your body time to heal.
FACT: IT’S GOOD TO GRADUALLY INCREASE ACTIVITY
One of the most common ways that people get hurt when running is by advancing too quickly. Research suggests increasing your mileage by about 10% per week is best. Exceeding a 30% increase significantly increases your risk of injury. There are great resources out there that offer progressive plans for beginners such as a “Couch to 5k” running program. There are also plenty of apps that will help structure your plan and can personalize your training to safely meet your goals based on your current fitness level.
To learn more about Rehabilitation Services at Spooner Health, visit SpoonerHealth.com/services