Protect Yourself from Injury with These Pre-Season Tips

The off season is over and it's time to get back on the field. But, before you do, make sure you are preventing injury with these pre-season tips! Here at Articulate we want your amateur sports experience to be as safe as possible so that you can enjoy the game for years to come. So let's chat about preventing injury during this year's off-season and how it will help protect yourself from getting injured again next season.

Tip 1: Use the off-season to prevent injuries by taking care of your body now. During this period, pay attention to what has caused or prevented injury in your past seasons and make changes accordingly. For example, if you know you need protection against ankle sprains invest in some proprioception or body awareness training before the season starts!

Tip 2: Ease into exercise now before training begins again.  If you ramp up your activity level too quickly, you are much more likely to experience an injury. Start by gradually adding some strength or resistance exercises into your routine a three to four times per week. This can help prepare your body for the next step without overdoing it. Gradual loading is key! It is possible to maintain this during the season with two resistance/ strength sessions a week.

Tip 3: Find out where you strength is sitting.  If you know that you have areas of weakness, now is the perfect time to begin a prehab program that will increase your strength before the season starts. (*Tip* Our Axit Strength Testing sessions are PERFECT for this, and is an inexpensive way to prevent an injury by pinpointing where it might occur!)

Tip 4:  Prevent fatigue with a plan for proper recovery techniques after games and practices. Make sure you are getting enough sleep every night, eating properly (including lots of vegetables) and drinking plenty of water! These simple steps can go a long way towards preventing injuries during off season and beyond.
As always if you have any questions about how these pre-season tips might help protect yourself from injury please don't hesitate to call us at Articulate today on 07 3706 3407 so we can start your injury prevention plan today!