Top 5 Tips to Prevent Sports Injury

Manage your Training Load: 

The first of the top 5 tips to prevent injury is around training load. Training load refers to how hard and how quickly our tissues are challenged. Managing this load is one of the best strategies to prevent injury. Train regularly and moderately, with only mild to moderate increases in load. Avoid spikes and lulls in you training and when they do occur be more cautious for a while.

Engage in Strength Training: 

Engaging in strength training will make our tissues (muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments, joints and cartilage) more robust and resilient to injury. A Physiotherapist can design a strength regime specific to your sport.

Update your Sports Shoes: 

It is vital that you wear the correct shoe for your chosen sport. Each sport has its own specific demands and it’s important that you choose a shoe with the appropriate design features to meet those demands. A podiatrist can help you find the appropriate shoe for your needs.

Mind your Diet: 

Aim to eat a well balanced whole food diet with lots of vegetables, fruit and lean proteins. Nutrition is so important for growth and repair of our tissues. A dietitian can help design a diet to meet your daily energy requirements.

Prioritise your Sleep: 

The last of the top 5 tips to prevent injury is Sleep. Sleep deprivation is a common issue and a major factor in chronic pain, impaired athletic performance and injury rates. Getting more sleep boosts performance and enhances recovery. Aim for at least 8 hours a night.