Winter sports are looming on the horizon! There will be many people gearing up for the winter season: kids, teens, professional athletes, over 35s in beer leagues, and more.
Whether you’re competing at a top level or simply enjoying the social aspect of being on a team, you won’t want your career cut short by an injury. Caring for your muscles before and after games and practices can contribute to a long and healthy winter season.
There are many small ways you can look after the muscles that move you and avoid injury. Boost your chances of reaching prizegiving in one piece!
Warm-ups
Easing your muscles into exercise is a must-do! Performing warm up exercises before taking to the field, whether generalised or specific to your sport, gets you ready to move safely and effectively. This can include dynamic stretching, but it is not recommended to partake in static stretching before your workout.
This review and meta-analysis assessed the effectiveness of warm-up intervention programs across 15 studies, and concluded that “WIPs significantly reduced the injury rate ratio of upper and lower limb sports injuries in children and adolescents.” Warming up before a workout is scientifically backed, and most athletes at any level will have anecdotal evidence to support the practice, too: friends, family, or personal experience with sprains, ACL tears, and other season enders. The start-stop, twisting and turning nature of many team sports just adds to the risk of injury that can be reduced by warm ups.
Hydration and nutrition
Your intake affects your output! Pre- and post-workout nutrition is important to muscle repair and development to see you through the season. Protein and carbs eaten immediately after a session will help you to replace muscle fibres and energy, and healthy eating throughout the week will stand you in good stead when it comes to being on your game.
Replacing lost fluids after exercise helps to prevent cramping, and ongoing hydration plays a role in injury prevention. For intense workouts, electrolytes can help to replenish sodium and potassium which help your body to retain and absorb fluid.
Massage
Regular sports or deep tissue massage can help athletes care for their muscles. This article from the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork describes the results of a study that indicated regular massages improved recovery outcomes, increased flexibility, and muscle strength.
Massage can be tailored with pre-event or post-event techniques for optimum positive effects, and also adjusted according to an individual athlete’s sport, goals, and issues.
Sleep
Boring, but true: good sleep is essential for many vital human functions, and is important in recovery. Seven to ten hours of sleep is a great foundation for all kinds of health and wellbeing, including the wellbeing of your muscles. Growth hormones are released during deep sleep, which contribute to building and repairing muscle tissue. Evidence is emerging that sleep also plays a role maintaining bone density, as discussed in this journal article, and this is also crucial in injury prevention.
Participating in sports and other physical activity is so good for your physical and mental health. Don’t be taken out of the game against your will by a preventable injury! Staying consistent with warm-ups, nutrition, hydration, massage, and sleep can contribute to keeping you at your best and in the game.
Elemental Body Therapies is the place to be for quality sports massage! Liezl, our sports specialist, has completed her Honours in Sports Science, as well as a complementary certification in muscle activation. She has a wealth of experience in this area, and is a valued member of the team for many of our athlete clients.