Reducing your chances of injury

Injuries can hit when we're least expecting them, and can have a huge impact physically, emotionally and socially. Harbouring an injury decreases the amount of time you can spend doing what you enjoy, lowers your fitness and impacts of competitive performance. Prevention is always better than cure, so if you know more about the workings of the body, you can stop injuries in their tracks.

Consider these steps to reduce your chances of getting injured:-

# If you are new to a sport or are planning to increase your training, do so gradually. Numerous studies indicate that you are more likely to become injured because you haven't gently exposed your body to that activity.

# Always conduct a thorough warm-up and cool-down, always applicable to the sport or training session planned.

# Maintain a good level of flexibility.

# Incorporate strength and conditioning into your training programme.

# Nurse every injury, however big or small.

# Allow for rest days, this is where your body recovers and makes adaptations to training.

Don't be that person who leaves an injury for months, assuming it will just disappear. You need to have a diagnosis, and understand your injury, so you know how best to begin your journey to recovery.