BOOK NOW

Being active is one the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle and there are many different ways to get your heart rate up. No matter what your choice of activity is, there is always some risk of injury. In this article, we have listed some tips from our physiotherapists to help you prevent accidents and injuries.

1. Choose the right footwear

The correct footwear can go a long way in protecting your feet and ankles from injury and can even prevent serious accidents such as falls. Every activity places different demands on your body and tailoring your footwear to suit these stressors is a great strategy for preventing injuries.  For example, basketball players often wear shoes with support that extends above the ankles to help protect against ankle sprains, while hikers require thick and supportive soles to cushion and protect their feet. Wearing shoes that are too large or have poor grip can lead to slips and falls, particularly when exercising in the outdoors. Your physiotherapist or Podiatrist can guide you with the correct choice of footwear for your chosen activity.

2. Pace yourself

When you start to see improvements in your fitness and strength, it can be tempting to push your limits to see just how far you can go. The danger in this is that often your tissues are still adapting to the increased demands of your new exercise regime. Increasing your weights, training time or running distances by too much too soon can lead to major setbacks. Give your body time to adjust and progress in a slow and steady manner.

3. Check your form and posture

Checking your posture in the middle of a workout is probably the last thing on your mind, however poor form is a leading cause of injury in athletes. Lifting heavy weights when your spine is not in its optimal position causes many low back injuries. Taking a second to check your posture before starting a lift is highly recommended.

4. Seek professional advice

Coaches and trainers are able to help you spot vulnerabilities and share their knowledge, helping you get the most out of your chosen activity.  Often it is easier to prevent bad habits from forming than it is to break them once they are already in place. Invest in the advice of an expert, they can help you to avoid injuries as well as reach your peak performance.

Your physiotherapist is able to identify weakness in your training technique, biomechanical vulnerabilities, tight and/or weak muscles and can help guide you through your recovery if an injury does occur. However, prevention of injuries is always preferable to treatment, whenever possible.

 None of the information in this article is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a medical professional for advice on your individual injury.  If you have been injured already then check out our FREE Report on how to get back to full fitness quickly Here

Piriformis Syndrome

Piriformis Syndrome

Discover more about the sneaky little culprit known as Piriformis Syndrome! Have you ever experienced a mysterious pain in your buttocks that radiates down your leg? Well, you might be dealing with the not-so-friendly Piriformis Syndrome! Don't worry, though – our...

Concussion

Concussion

find out about Concussion
our Sports Therapist, Lucy Armstrong answers some questions about concussion:

What is concussion?
what are the symptoms of concussion?
how long does the athlete need to rest after concussion?

4 Tips for avoiding Knee Pain

4 Tips for avoiding Knee Pain

Knee Pain Knee pain comes in many forms with many different causes. While treatment for every person and condition will be different in each case, here are a few tips that may help to reduce knee pain throughout the day.   1. Choose supportive footwear One of the...

Osteoarthritis of the knee

Osteoarthritis of the knee

Osteoarthritis of the Knee What is Osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease that affects almost all the joints of the body. The knees are some of the most commonly affected joints, with many people experiencing at least a small degree...

MCL Tears

MCL Tears

What is it an MCL Tear? Do you know of someone with an MCL Tear? Find out more here about this knee injury... Your knee moves freely backwards and forwards; however, the thought of it moving from side to side probably makes you cringe. This is because the knee joint...

5 Reasons to Stay Active

5 Reasons to Stay Active

At Active Health you’ll be welcomed by our multidisciplinary team of experts ready to help you exceed your goals

The benefits of keeping active may seem obvious, yet it can’t hurt to be reminded of the many ways exercise can improve your life. Here are a few of our favourite reasons to get moving. 

What is the Best Verruca Treatment?

Verruca are a very common complaint that we would see in the clinic almost every day.  Normally, when a patient books an appointment for a verruca treatment, they have tried treating the lesion themselves by using over the counter products they have bought in their...