How to prevent sports injuries
We consult UFIT experts, David Lee & Devin Tan, on sports injuries and how to treat them
Text: Hui Yi Phua
credit: UFIT
Whether you’re a professional athlete or casual gym-goer, you’ve probably sustained some sort of injury at one point. While exercising and participating in sports are great for your health, they can also have certain risks of sports injuries, especially if you engage in them regularly. Sustained sports injuries can also bring about lifelong consequences if they’re not treated in time or properly.
We interviewed expert physiotherapists from UFIT, David Lee and Devin Tan, who share advice on how to reduce sports injuries and explain when we should go and see a physio (before it’s too late and the damage is done!)
The most common sports injuries and how to prevent
The most frequent types of sports injuries are sprains (injuries to ligaments), strains (injuries to muscles and tendons), and fractures (injuries to bones). These injuries occur when excessive stress is placed on these tendons, joints, bones and muscles.
For contact sports, there are greater risks of a traumatic injury, whereas for other sports with less contact, the injuries tend to be related to overuse or overload such as tendinopathy or muscle strains.
Recently, we have seen a spike in injuries related to overload. This could be because the COVID-19 restrictions have forced many people to switch from team sports to new individual activities like gym, running, or cycling, which they might not have sufficient knowledge and expertise of. Thus, if they try to increase the volume (time spent doing the activity) and intensity (how hard the exercise is) before their bodies have the time to acclimatise to these new activities, it will end up aggravating their joints and tendons.
The risk of sports injuries cannot be totally eliminated. Even professional athletes who exercise the commonly perceived ‘preventive measures’ get injured from time to time. If we could truly ‘prevent’ injuries, there would be no role for a physiotherapist or any other rehabilitation professional.
Rather than prevention, we prefer to use the term ‘reduction’, which is also more widely accepted in the medical field now. Evidence has shown that it is possible to reduce the likelihood of an injury. In fact, research has suggested that injury rates could be reduced by as much as 50% if athletes make appropriate changes to their training. Hence, the key point here is to try and reduce the likelihood of injury and the severity of injury when it occurs.
UFIT’s Top Ways to reduce your chances of getting injured
Below are some tips you can implement into your exercise routine to minimise your chances of injuries. They do not however guarantee that you won’t get injured, but it could help significantly in reducing the chances.
1. Have the appropriate level of physical fitness for your sport
The common misconception is that the sport itself would get you in shape – that is not true. If you plan to participate in any kind of sport, you should be adequately trained for it. That means that being a “weekend warrior”, which entails only engaging in the sport over the weekend rigorously without giving yourself additional time to train up for it, is not ideal and holds a higher rate of injury. The better way to reduce sports injuries would be to follow a regular strength and conditioning program designed for the specific demands of your sport.
2. Get proper nutrition and rest
As important as training is, so is rest and nutrition. Athletes that train consecutively for many days tend to be more likely to develop injuries. While many athletes go by the mantra of “more is better”, it is yet another misconception that the more training that you do in the short term, the better you will perform. What would be critical to your performance however, is rest and good nutrition to allow recovery from an intense training session.
3. Always warm-up adequately
A proper warm up prepares not only the body, but also the mind. It helps to increase core temperature and blood flow, lubricates the joints, improves joint mobility, and primes the muscles and nervous system for the work out ahead. All of which is essential in reducing your risk of injuries.
4. Listen to your body
When your body is fatigued and in pain, you need to pay attention to these warning signs provided by your body. Pushing through these signs can often lead to sports injuries.
5. Having the proper attire / equipment
Always ensure that your equipment or attire is well fitted and not worn out. Doing these can offer you more protection for your body and help you maintain good form throughout your exercise, which are great ways to reduce risks of sports injuries.
If you do sustain a sports injury and find that your function is limited, activities of daily living are affected, or if you’re unable to manage the symptoms by yourself, we advise you to visit a physiotherapist.
Physiotherapists can help guide your rehabilitation, including cardiovascular exercises, strengthening and mobility exercises to help decrease your chances of re-injury before returning to your sport. They can also provide education, exercises and guidance to lower your risk of injury in the future.
credit: UFIT
Physiotherapy with UFIT
At UFIT, their highly-qualified physiotherapists utilise their diverse experiences in using modern facilities and equipment to provide you with world-class holistic rehabilitation like no other.
Their treatment approach is a combination of education, stretches and strengthening exercises, manual adjuncts (dry needling, etc.), joint mobilization, manipulations and soft tissue techniques (massage, etc.).
They use their unique skills and approach to go beyond just providing rehabilitation for your current injury; they commit to finding the most effective treatments and ensuring that all their customers can return to action stronger and more confident in their bodies than ever before.
Besides sports injuries, UFIT’s experts also specialize in a multitude of other areas, such as postoperative orthopaedic care, musculoskeletal conditions, chronic pain, paediatrics, and strength and conditioning.
David Lee is an expert physiotherapist and run coach at UFIT who has helped a variety of clients overcome their challenges in daily activities and recreational exercises caused by pain through rehabilitation and injury prevention programs. He combines his skills with a holistic, patient-centred approach to empower patients to achieve their goals. David is also the coordinator for the UFIT mentorship program for newly graduated physiotherapists.
Devin Tan is a physiotherapist at UFIT with an aim to heal and help clients attain their fullest potential in both physical and sporting aspects. Clients can expect a friendly partnership with Devin as he listens attentively to their concerns and keeps them accountable and focused throughout their rehabilitation journey.
For more information on UFIT’s physiotherapy services, you can visit their website or email health@ufit.com.sg.
