What are the key aspects of sports injury prevention?

The core focus of sports injury prevention has never been to rely on protective gear to "bear" the risk, but to "match one's own abilities" throughout the entire exercise process. The remaining movement correction, environmental investigation, and load adjustment are all leak-proofing measures centered on this core.

A while ago, I was working as a post-game supporter for the school team, and I met a sophomore basketball player. I always felt like I was wearing a custom-made ankle brace worth thousands of dollars just to jump around. Last week, I twisted one foot while trying to grab an offensive rebound during an exchange game. After an MRI, it was found that I had a second-grade tear of the anterior talofibular ligament. I turned him over. According to the previous physical test record, the length of time he could stand stably with one leg closed and eyes closed was only 11 seconds. It takes at least 20 seconds for ordinary basketball fans to reach this threshold before they can confidently perform continuous changes of direction, take off and land with full strength. The core stability has not kept up, and no matter how good the protective gear is, it cannot withstand the impact of imbalance of the center of gravity.

There is actually a lot of debate in the sports circle about the focus of prevention. One group insists on the "warm-up priority theory" and believes that as long as dynamic stretching and muscle activation are sufficient, 90% of non-external injuries can be avoided. The other group advocates that "movement specifications are the bottom line." It is better to be gentle than to be fake than to prepare for anything. I have been doing sports insurance for almost 6 years. Both of these opinions are reasonable, but they do not get to the root of the problem. Last month, a man who had been running horses for 5 years came to me to review his injuries. He warmed up for 20 minutes before each run, and his running posture was specially adjusted by a coach. His monthly running volume was stable at 150 kilometers. However, in the last 3 kilometers of the half marathon, he stepped on an unpicked mineral water bottle on the side of the road and dropped it. He suffered a patella contusion. Do you think this is because he did not warm up enough or his movements were not standard? It’s just that I didn’t pay attention to the track environment before the race, and my physical fitness declined in the last few kilometers and my concentration was distracted, so I didn’t avoid risks.

In fact, the prevention of sports injuries is a bit like protecting a mobile phone. Don’t always think about having a tempered film or a mobile phone case to carry it if it falls. The most effective way is not to put it next to puddles or the edge of the table. Protective gear and warm-up are the last buffer and are not a panacea. Before I take ordinary athletes to practice, I don't just ask them to do stretching exercises. I first ask them to do a few single-leg deadlifts and lateral cross steps. I first find out who has poor joint stability today and who has a big muscle reaction after staying up late the day before. If the condition is not right, just reduce the intensity. Don't follow the momentum of the big group. 80% of amateur sports injuries are caused by "thinking that you can do it today".

Of course, this does not mean that protective gear and warm-up are not important. If you already have old injuries, the supporting role of protective gear can indeed greatly reduce the probability of secondary injuries. If you have sufficient core strength and a clear understanding of your physical condition, you can basically avoid most unnecessary injuries by warming up in advance, standardizing your movements, and checking the sports environment.