What exercises actually protect against injury

What training methods help with injuries

For prevention of injuries, stretching, strength training or proprioceptive techniques (PT) are usually used - exercises that help J. E. Aman, N. Elangovan, 1 I. Yeh. The effectiveness of proprioceptive training for improving motor function: a systematic review / Frontiers in human neuroscience better feel your body and maintain balance.

In 2014, Danish scientists decided to test what actually reduces the risk of injury, and conducted a meta-analysis by J. B. Lauersen, D. M. Bertelsen, L. Andersen. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials / British journal of sports medicine 25 scientific papers with data from 26 thousand athletes of different ages.

Researchers calculated the relative risk (RR) - the ratio of the number of injuries in those who did prevention to the number of injuries in those who did not. The closer the RR is to one, the less benefit from exercise (1 - harm).

It turns out that stretching doesn't help prevent injury at all. According to the results of four studies, the relative risk for her was 0.9 (from 0.8 to 1.09), regardless of whether it was performed before or after training.

Proprioceptive training has proven to be far more effective. According to the results of six studies, the RR for them averaged 0, 48. But at the same time, scientists noted that there is no single format for such training, and therefore it is difficult to say whether they help or not.

Strength training provided the best performance. Training with resistance, athletes were injured almost 30% less often than those who did not.

Based on the results of three scientific studies, the relative risk for strength training was 0.3 (from 0.2 to 0.4). Four years later, the same group of Danish researchers conducted another meta-analysis by J. B. Lauersen, T. E. Andersen, L. B. Andersen. Strength training as superior, dose-dependent and safe prevention of acute and overuse sports injuries: a systematic review, qualitative analysis and meta-analysis / British journal of sports medicine, this time dedicated only to strength training.

A review of six high-quality scientific papers with data from 7,700 participants confirmed the previous results. Scientists have calculated that increasing the volume of strength training by 10% reduces the risk of injury in athletes by more than 4%.

Who should add strength training to their workouts?

This method is suitable for team sports players (football, basketball, hockey), runners, cyclists and other athletes whose training plan does not include strength exercises.

There is no one-size-fits-all strength training regimen that fits all athletes. However, there are common J. B. Lauersen, T. E. Andersen, L. B. Andersen. Strength training as superior, dose-dependent and safe prevention of acute and overuse sports injuries: a systematic review, qualitative analysis and meta-analysis / British journal of sports medicine principles to follow:

Build your muscles twice a week in addition to your regular activities. Make sure that at least 72 hours pass between two strengths, especially if such workouts are new to you.
Study your strength training technique thoroughly. It is best if you do it under the supervision of a coach.
Do not use strength training as a warm-up before the main load. Arrange them on a separate day.
Consider your training volume. When your sport becomes more challenging, reduce the amount of strength training to avoid overtraining.

What exercises to do

Build the muscles around the most vulnerable joints first.

squats with a barbell on the back;
barbell or dumbbell lunges;
leg press in the simulator;
Bulgarian split squat with dumbbells;
nordic twists;
deadlift with a barbell.

If in training you are more at risk of injuring your shoulders, elbows or pectoral muscles, add the following movements to the strength:

bench press;
bench press standing;
cravings on the block to the chest and abdomen;
push-ups on the uneven bars;
pull-ups on the horizontal bar;
dumbbell layout.

Regardless of the sport, include exercises to pump the muscles of the abs, back and buttocks. Strong core muscles allow effective transfer of force from the limbs, help maintain balance and avoid falls. Here are some moves to add:

bike;
twisting on the press;
lifting legs hanging on a horizontal bar;
rock climber;
plain and side plank;
hyperextension;
lifting the back and legs, lying on the stomach;
;
lifting the pelvis with support on the bench.

How to do strength training

Choose 4-5 strength exercises with an emphasis on the muscle groups you need to pump first.

If you are working with free weights or on machines, do the exercises in 3 sets of 8-15 reps. Pick up the weight in such a way that the last repetitions in the approach are given with difficulty, but at the same time you feel that you can do 2-3 more times.

If you decide to work with your body weight, you can increase the number of times per set to 20-25. At the end of the approach, you should feel that the muscles are really tired, a burning sensation builds up in them, and after a few repetitions, there will be a refusal.

For core workouts, choose one abdominal and back exercise and do them in three sets of 20-25 times (30-60 seconds for planks). Alternate movements periodically to evenly pump all muscles.

Who is proprioceptive training for?

These exercises are great for preventing injury in any sport. They will also be useful to those who do not deal with them. You will improve your sense of balance, feel your position better, and grasp new movements faster.

Unlike strength exercises, proprioceptive exercises can be performed before training as a warm-up, as well as on days off.

What exercises to do

Here's a 15 minute proprioceptive workout. Experiment M. Walden, I. Atroshi, H. Magnusson. Prevention of acute knee injuries in adolescent female football players: cluster randomized controlled trial / British medical journal with the participation of 4.5 thousand young football players, this complex helped to reduce the frequency of injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament by 64%.

Below we list the exercises from the experiment. Choose a performance that suits your skill level, and move on to more challenging movements as you get used to.

Squats on one leg:with hands on hips → with the ball in arms outstretched above the head → with the free leg touching the floor for 12–2–4–6 hours (3 x 5 times) → with the exercise "lumberjack" and the ball in his hands.
Glute bridge:with support on two legs → with support on one leg → with support on one leg, placed on the ball → with support on one leg, pushing off the floor and landing on the other.
Squat on two legs:with the ball in arms outstretched in front of you → with hands on your hips → with the ball in your hands extended over your head → with the ball over your head and lifting on your toes after each squat.
Plank: on your knees → classic → with alternating leg raises → lateral with raising and lowering the pelvis (5-10 times).
Lunges in the passage through the hall: with hands on hips → with the ball in arms outstretched in front of you and rotating the body towards the front leg at the bottom point of each lunge → in place with the ball in hands extended over the head → side lunges with the ball in hands extended in front of you.
Jumping: forward and backward on one leg → from a stand on two legs to the side with landing on one leg → several quick steps in place with a jump forward and landing on one leg (3 x 5 times) → several quick steps in place with a jump forward, landing on one leg and a simultaneous 90 ° turn (3 to 5 times).

How to do a warm-up correctly

Incorporate these exercises into your warm-up twice a week. Do each movement in 3 sets of 8-15 reps (unless otherwise indicated), hold the bar for 15-30 seconds.

Start with the lightest variations and follow the technique. Try to maintain balance without swaying or skewing to one side.

When squatting, lunging, and jumping, don't let your knees curl inward - they should always point in the same direction as your toes. Also pay attention to the position of the back: keep the lower back in a neutral position, without rounding or excessive bending.

Move to the next level of difficulty only when the previous one turns out perfectly: without skewing to one side and losing balance.