They key to great performance this season may not just lie practise, skill development, teamwork and game strategy, but also in warming up correctly.
Injuries are one of the single biggest contributors to loss of form and fitness, as well as disruption to team cohesion. The good news is, you can significantly reduce your risk of injury this season. A dynamic warm up has been proven to reduce lower limb injuries by 39% and improve performance in up to 79% of individuals.
Warm-up strategies should incorporate; stretching, strengthening and balance exercises, sports-specific agility drills and landing techniques. They should be completed for a duration of longer than three consecutive months at all training sessions for 15-20 minutes.
You can find some highly recommended and comprehensive warm up routines here
- Recovery helps prevent over-training.
- Recovery prepares you for the next training session.
- Nutrition and hydration supports recovery - replace fluid and energy lost while playing sport.
Active recovery includes cool downs, rolling, stretching and hydrotherapy (hot/cold).
Passive recovery includes rest, sleep, massage and meditation.
The simple answer is, yes. In 2021 ACC received 417,000 sport related claims. That’s a lot of injuries. And it’s not just rugby and netball making up those numbers, golf contributed 7,500 claims and dancing 7,700.
Getting injured means not only missing time out of your sport, but can mean significant discomfort and pain, time off work and having to commit to a rehabilitation programme. And some injuries can be far worse than others
- An ACL rupture can be devastating. If an athlete does return to sport, rehabilitation can take up to a year. In NZ, there are up to 3000 ACL surgeries each year.
- Spraining your ankle may seem common, but did you know that 50% of ankle sprains will have another sprained ankle within the next 2 years.
No. But, you can certainly reduce the risk of injury and improve your performance, which means more time spent enjoying and competing in your sport.
If you’re currently struggling with a niggle, want further advice on injury prevention, or assistance with recovery, book in with a member of the team today.