If you have any aches or pains or get the typical “flare up” every so often, there may be a missing link in your exercise routine that keeps causing this pain. In my experience as an Athletic Therapist, many people just accept their pain, or find methods that provide only temporarily relief. If this is the case for you, its time to get to the root cause of your pain and learn the proper techniques to keep it away for good!
These are some common faults that lead to injury and/or pain: poor core and glute activation, tight and/or weak muscles, poor balance, and dehydration.
It all starts with proper muscle activation. If you can’t fire your core or your glutes, other structures of the body will take that load and injury could result. Once you have mastered the activation techniques, you can progress into more challenging exercises. In the final stages, make sure the exercises you do are functional. Functional exercise includes movements that are similar to the tasks you do in your daily life or in your activities/sports. For instance: a squat. This is a very effective exercise that is often done throughout the day without even recognizing it.
Here are five tips to help prevent injury:
1) Learn how to fire your core: lay on your back, exhale, pull belly button to spine and hold in pee. Repeat 20 times
2) Be able to activate your glutes one at a time. Repeat 20 times per side
3) Practice single balance exercises on different surfaces
4) Stretch: Perform long hold stretches after exercise of 20-30 seconds, 3 times each stretch
5) Drink more water. Try to aim for 2-3 litres per day
Good luck and hope these tips can keep you pain-free and doing what you love!
