What are the common preventive measures for sports injuries?

The vast majority of common sports injuries, whether they are acute sprains or chronic strains, can actually be avoided by checking the risks in advance and adjusting exercise habits. It is really not something that is "unpreventable".

Last week, there was a girl in the running group I led who had just signed up for the half marathon. She came to her with her knees covered after only three days of training. I looked down at her running shoes. The inside of the soles were almost flat and she was still wearing them. I asked her what she did to warm up. She said she just shook her arms and twisted her waist on the way here. She was also used to rubbing her feet against the ground when running. It was strange that it didn't hurt in this situation.

Many people always think that injuries are caused by bad luck or too much intensity. In fact, prevention starts from the moment you decide to go out for exercise. Don’t always follow the trend and buy Internet celebrity equipment. There was a badminton enthusiast who wore trendy hard-soled shoes to match the jersey. When he landed on the jump, his feet were sprained and swollen like a bun. He didn’t dare to play again for three months. You don’t have to be expensive when choosing equipment. It is just right to follow the project - even if you are dancing in the square downstairs, soft-soled dance shoes will protect your knees better than the sneakers you wear every day. There is really no need to save dozens of dollars.

Nowadays, there is a lot of debate on the Internet about "should you stretch before exercise?" In fact, both sides of the argument are reasonable. If you have tight muscles or old injuries before, doing dynamic stretching for a few minutes before exercise, such as raising your legs high and stepping sideways, can indeed reduce the risk of strain. However, if you are very flexible, you only need to activate the muscles to be used before exercise. There is no need to stretch until it hurts, but it will easily stretch the injury. On the contrary, static stretching after exercise is recognized for its role in relieving delayed-onset soreness and relaxing muscles. You don't need to follow the online saying that "each movement must be stretched for 30 seconds." It is enough if you feel comfortable and effortless.

Don’t always think that “just grit your teeth and get over it” is sportsmanship. During the last community basketball game, there was a young man who had just worked overtime at work. He jumped directly under the basket without warming up. When he landed, his calf cramped and he sprained his ankle. He had to rest for almost a month. If you stayed up late the day before, or you feel heavy all over and can't concentrate, don't insist on pushing heavy weights or running long distances. At this time, the movement will change in minutes. It's really better to rest at home for a day, which is much more cost-effective.

There are also chronic injuries that slowly accumulate, such as tennis elbow caused by long-term incorrect exertion of force, and runner's knee caused by improper running posture. Most of them are caused by repeating wrong movements hundreds or thousands of times. I once met a young man who was working out. He always bent over and arched his back when doing deadlifts. He felt that the weight would be more respectable. When he finally pulled 120 kilograms, he suddenly lost his waist. He had a herniated disc and lay down for half a month, unable to even get out of bed. If you are not sure whether your movements are correct, you can either find a reliable coach to take two or three classes, or record a video yourself in front of the mirror to see. Movement standards are always more important than weight and exercise duration.

To be honest, the purpose of exercise is to make yourself comfortable. Don't do it just for the number of check-ins in your circle of friends, or to compare your performance with others. If you really feel pain in any part of your body during exercise, or your strength is not working properly, stop and adjust it quickly. No matter whether the small pain turns into a serious injury, and you can't move for a long time, then it is really not worth the gain.