What does sports injury prevention include?

The essence of sports injury prevention is a systematic intervention covering the entire cycle of exercise. The core runs through the three major links of basic preparation before exercise, dynamic adjustment during exercise, and fatigue recovery after exercise. There is no one-time and forever protection method.

I met a young girl born in the 2000s who just got into long-distance running a while ago. She followed the running group's weekend long-distance competition and ran 12 kilometers. She didn't even realize that she had flat feet and that her ankles were out of alignment. After running three times, she was in so much pain that she couldn't walk. She was diagnosed with fatigue periostitis of the tibia and fibula. In fact, the preparation before exercise is really more than "stretching muscles for two minutes" as many people think. You must first understand your body: whether there are old injuries, whether the joint alignment is normal, and how much intensity the cardiopulmonary function can handle, and then choose suitable items and equipment. The warm-up should also be adjusted according to the temperature and items. In winter, you must slow down for three to five minutes before running to allow the synovial fluid in the joints to be fully secreted. Otherwise, it will be like a bearing lacking lubricant, and problems will definitely arise from hard grinding. When it comes to equipment, there is a controversy that has been going on for several years: some people think that protective gear is a necessity, as it can provide additional support to joints and prevent the recurrence of old injuries. Others say that wearing protective gear for a long time will make your stabilizing muscles useless and make you more susceptible to injury. In fact, there is no standard answer. It is perfectly fine for novices and post-injury recovery period. Once the core strength and peripheral muscles of the target area are strengthened, it is perfectly fine to take them off for daily training. There is no need to argue about who is right and who is wrong.

Don’t think that everything will be fine if you prepare in advance. Omissions during exercise are the cause of most acute injuries. I once saw a young man in the gym trying to deadlift the maximum weight, and his movements were twisted and twisted. He didn't listen to the people next to him when he told him to take off the weight. In the end, his waist was so weak that it took him half a year before he dared to touch the barbell. When it’s time to exercise, don’t stick to the training plan you’ve planned. You have to catch the signs of soreness, weakness, force deviation, and stinging pain from your body. Don’t hold on. You also have to pay attention to the small details of the venue. There is water on the badminton court that has not been wiped, or the soles of the running shoes you wear are worn out. I have seen this seemingly insignificant problem turn into a sprained foot or knee wear at least ten times.

What many people tend to overlook is actually the post-exercise recovery process. Many people go straight to the barbecue stall to get cold beer after wiping off a sweat, thinking that as long as there is no pain at the moment, they are not injured. Last week I had an old golfer who had been playing golf for five years. After playing golf in the summer, he found it too troublesome and did not stretch. He took a cold shower and went home. The next day, his calf hurt so much that he could not get off the ground. It was found that he had a slight muscle tear. Use foam rollers to relax and stretch in a timely manner after exercise, including subsequent sleep supplements and protein intake, all of which help the damaged muscle fibers and pressure-bearing joints to recover and prevent small fatigue injuries from turning into chronic problems. There is also a point that the academic community is still discussing here: it used to be said that cold compresses should be used to reduce swelling within 24 hours after an acute injury. Now some studies have suggested that if it is just ordinary muscle soreness after exercise, cold compresses will delay the inflammatory metabolism and prolong the recovery cycle. The specific choice depends on the condition. If it is already swollen and so painful that you can't move, use cold compresses first. If it is just ordinary soreness, hot compresses and relaxation will be more effective.

To put it bluntly, sports injury prevention is really not a complicated subject that requires memorizing knowledge points. It just means paying more attention to your own body feelings. Don’t blindly follow the so-called “standard training plan” and don’t force yourself to perform. Most injuries can actually be avoided.