Athletic Injury Prevention

Whether a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, most of us who participate in any sport on a regular basis have endured a common athletic injury at one time or another. Many of us accept this as part of the game, and carry on through our aches and pains the best we can. Only when we do serious damage to a bone, joint or muscle do we seek out the advice of a specialist. The problem with this logic is that by the time we seek help, much damage has already been done. The key to injury prevention in sports is proper conditioning, and there is a huge amount of information available to help you do just that.

One of the easiest ways to reduce your risk of athletic injury is by maintaining adequate flexibility. Learning a few simple stretches specific to your sport can reduce your risk of injury, and help you improve your performance at the same time. Stretching and Flexibility - Everything you wanted to know is an excellent resource for finding the right stretch.

Proper conditioning for your sport is essential for injury prevention. Sport-specific conditioning programs focus on strengthening the muscles and joints that perform complex and repetitive movement during activity. Runners who want to stay injury free, or rehab quickly from a strain or sprain, should head to Dr. Pribut's Running Injuries Page. This man knows about running! Cyclists will find tried and true fitness training programs at The Cycling Performance Tips web site. All athletes can pick up some tips on proper training and injury prevention in the SportsMedWeb educational site designed for endurance athletes or Sportsmedicine.com. Master's athletes can get a headful of knowledge on training methods and physiology for endurance sport at Master's Athlete Physiology and Performance.

For a more scientific approach to conditioning, you will want a fitness evaluation. Once you know your current level of fitness, as well as your weaknesses, you can develop a more functional training routine. Rob Wood's Home of Fitness Testing can show you how fitness assessments are done, as can Sports Coach Brian Mackenzie.

If, even after practicing proper stretching, conditioning and injury prevention, you find yourself hobbling home, you may want to browse through Web Resources for Sports Medicine and Sports Injuries for some tips. And if things really get out of control, you may want to find a local Sports Medicine Physician to assess the damage.