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23 November, 2009

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Exercise - injury prevention

There is a risk of injury with any type of physical activity. Injuries can occur if you do not have the skills and equipment necessary for the type of physical activity you plan to do. Generally the benefits of staying active far outweigh the risks. With preparation and common sense, you can reduce your risk of exercise injury and continue to gain health and fitness benefits.

Risk factors
Some types of physical activity involve specific injury risks, but general risk factors include:

Lack of fitness
Inexperience or poor technique (‘form’)
Failure to wear protective equipment
Certain manoeuvres, such as sudden movements or changing direction at speed
High-impact or high-risk activities
Contact between players
Overtraining.

General health and fitness
Suggestions include:

Have a medical check-up before you begin if you a medical condition, are overweight, are aged over 40 years or haven’t exercised regularly for a long time.
Exercise regularly to keep yourself in good physical condition.
Eat a balanced, nutritional diet.
Drink plenty of water before, during and after activity.
Avoid exercise when in pain or fatigued.
Don’t do high-risk activities if you’ve been drinking alcohol or have taken other drugs that may affect your physical or mental state.

Be prepared
Remember to:

Choose activities that are suited to your abilities and fitness level.
Understand the requirements of your chosen activity such as the rules of your sport, how to use equipment, and specific training or warm-up techniques.
Learn, practise and use correct skills and techniques. You may consider consulting a coach to help you devise a program to suit you.
Dress for the conditions to protect against cold (wetsuit, thermal gear) and avoid heat stress (loose light-coloured clothing, layers).
Be SunSmart. Protect your skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation and sun damage. Wear a hat, suitable clothing and Australian Standard approved sunglasses. Apply 30+ water-resistant sunscreen to all exposed areas of skin and reapply regularly.

Avoid dehydration and heat stress
Dehydration reduces exercise performance and increases the risk of heat-related illness. It can cause cramping of the muscles. Make sure you have adequate hydration and sun protection in hot and humid conditions to avoid the risk of injury.

Warm up and cool down
Warming up before exercise helps to loosen muscles, increase blood flow and prepare your whole body for exercise. Cooling down helps the whole body recover from exercise. There is some proof that warming up and cooling down can (slightly) reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Warming up has also been shown to improve performance during exercise.

Suggestions include:

Warm up gently and slowly for 10 minutes or more before you begin your exercise.
A light jog that gradually increases in intensity is a great warm-up exercise. Other options include cycling or going for a brisk walk.
In cooler temperatures, a longer warm-up might be necessary.
Cool down after sport. This could involve another light jog or perhaps a lighter form of exercise – such as slow swimming or cycling.

Check environment and equipment safety
Hard or uneven surfaces, obstructions or barriers, rough terrain and extreme weather conditions are just some of the environmental factors that can increase the risk of falls, knocks and other exercise hazards. Poorly maintained equipment presents a further hazard.

Suggestions include:

Check and maintain the exercise area and playing surface. Remove or cover hazardous objects and make sure surrounds are safe.
Check weather and conditions before undertaking outdoor activities.
Check, maintain and replace equipment.
Be aware of potential unknown hazards such as motor vehicles or animals.
Make sure children are supervised at all times by a responsible adult.
Make sure qualified first aid personnel, first aid kits and emergency contact numbers are available at all times (where appropriate).

Wear the right gear
Suggestions include:

Always use the proper equipment and safety gear for the type of exercise you plan to do.
Examples of safety gear designed to protect you during exercise include helmets, mouthguards, protective eyewear, shoes, shin-guards, wrist-guards, elbow and knee pads, gloves, athletic cups and padding.
Make sure your gear is the correct size, fits well, is approved by the organisation governing the sport and is properly maintained.

If an injury occurs
If you or someone else is injured:

Stop exercise immediately to help prevent any further damage.
Seek first aid or prompt medical treatment from qualified personnel. This is important for all injuries – no matter how severe (or seemingly insignificant) the injury is.
Don’t resume exercise until you are completely recovered from any injury.

After injury
If you are injured, don’t try to keeping going. A ‘no pain, no gain’ attitude risks making the injury worse and may delay or prevent your return due to a chronic, recurring injury. Give your body time to heal to minimise long-term damage. Consult with a health professional (such as a physiotherapist) before restarting exercise after injury – they can work with you to plan your safe return to activity.

Different attitudes about stretching to prevent injury
Stretching, warming up and cooling down were previously thought to aid injury prevention during exercise. However, there is not a lot of evidence that these activities are effective in reducing exercise injury risk.

However, warming up and cooling down might help to reduce muscle soreness after exercise, even if they don’t prevent injuries. Gentle stretching can be included as part of your overall warm-up and cool-down routine. Some people also find psychological benefits in stretching and warming up to put them in the right frame of mind for exercise or to help them relax after exercise.

The best ways to avoid injury during exercise are to wear appropriate protective gear, understand the rules and requirements of the activity, avoid exercising when fatigued or in pain, make sure you have adequate hydration and sun protection, and exercise on properly prepared playing surfaces.

Where to get help

Your doctor
Physiotherapist
Sports physician
Australian Physiotherapy Association Tel. (03) 9534 9400
Smartplay Tel. (03) 9674 8777
‘Go for your life’ Infoline Tel. 1300 739 899

Things to remember

The best ways to avoid injury during exercise are to wear the right gear, understand the requirements of your activity, avoid exercising when fatigued or in pain, have adequate hydration and sun protection, and exercise on well-prepared surfaces.
Warming up before exercise can help reduce muscle soreness after exercise.
A warm-up should last about 10 minutes and include moderate level activity like light jogging or cycling.
A cool-down after exercise may help to slightly reduce muscle soreness after exercise.

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