Injury Prevention

Dynamic Warm Up

Prior to strenuous exercise, athletes should complete a dynamic warm up (active movement stretches that keep your heart rate up, bring blood flow to your muscles, lubricates joints, and prepares them for more strenuous activity. This should be done with intention and focus on good technique, and may vary from sport to sport based on the movement needs of the activity.

Heat Acclimatization:

Exertional Heat Stroke (life threatening condition that can happen when the body gets so hot that it is unable to regulate heat) is 100% manageable. The primary way that we reduce the risk of EHS is by putting athletes through acclimatization; slowly transitioning them into exercise in a hot environment.

Core Strength:

Strengthen and stabilize all the muscles of your core! Not only will this improve your athleticism, it will seriously reduce your injury risk- from everything from lateral ankle sprains, patella femoral pain syndrome, ACL tears, to back injuries and more!

Foot Strength:

The foot is the platform of the body. If you have weak, dysfunctional feet, you will suffer other injuries throughout your body as a result. Have you ever had shin splints? (Probably, because this is by far the most common issue I treat in my office!) Have you ever had tight calves? Or maybe plantar fasciitis? BOOM! Strengthen them dogs.

Hydration:

Drink water. Drink lots of water! Don't just drink it during practice or competition. Drink it beforehand, replenish it afterwards. Dehydration can cause: muscle dysfunction/cramping, headaches, dizziness, nausea, fainting, heat illness, seizures, kidney problems, hypovolemic shock, and more. Take care of your body! It's so easy.

Nutrition:

You have to put fuel in the machine (your body) for it to function! So many athletes come to practice without any food in their system, and wonder why they feel awful, dizzy, nauseous, confused, etc. EAT! This athletic trainer is begging you.

Try to consume a variety of foods Include as many colors from nature as you can on your plate. If you have grilled chicken, bread, and potatoes- that is too much beige! Get some fruit and vegetables to round out each meal. Nutrients show up as different colors in our food, and they function in different ways in your body. Set yourself up for SUCCESS!

As a healthy high school athlete, I would not advise you to NEVER eat junk food. That will just cause you to fail at your goals. Go ahead and have pizza with your friends! Just shoot for making solid nutritional choices 80% of the time. (3 meals a day/7 days =21 meals. 80% intentional nutrition choices frees you up for 4-5 meals a week that are less optimal) Be realistic and intentional in your food choices.

This is not the time to think about caloric restriction. You are burning a ton of calories playing sports, and you need to replenish them. Put yourself in deprived state is one way to set yourself up for potential illness/injury. If you are in a situation that you feel you need to restrict your caloric intake, I recommend seeking guidance from your physician and a registered dietitian.