The average citizen sees training as a luxury activity at best and necessary evil at worst. But for athletes training is part of the job description. Training makes you run faster, jump higher and throw harder. But training can be bad for you. Over training a part of the body will cause overuse injury. For the average citizen, repetitive-use can result in Carpal Tunnel (which could cause missed days at work). For an athlete, repetitive-use can cause more severe problems like bursitis or tendinitis (which can be a career changer).
Repetitive-use injury results from bad equipment, poor prep, training error and routines that focus on only one part of the body.
Preventing repetitive use can be simple:
1. Check with a physician before you begin a new training routine. Unique bone structure, growth spurts and muscle-tendon imbalances can lead to problems even if an athlete does everything else right.
2. Don’t overload. Pace yourself.
3. Shoes. Wear the right pair of shoes… and other equipment. Also, make sure to train during proper field conditions.
4. Slow and steady wins the race. Most repetitive-use injury happens at the beginning of the training and when the athlete is nearing his threshold. Improvement is important, but don’t overdo it.
5. Cross the tees. Cross-fit training (or mixing routines that work different parts of the body) is a great way to stay active and prevent repetitive injury.
6. The number one most important thing to keep in mind is listen to your body.
Have you experienced repetitive-use injury? How do you avoid it?
