Injury Prevention – tips for proper warm-up 

Injuries are an unfortunate but realistic part of any sport. Athletes are subject to two main types of injuries – macrotrauma and microtrauma. Macrotrauma is a sudden overload injury to a tissue. Examples include fractures, dislocations, subluxations, muscle and tendon strains, ligament sprains, and contusions. Microtrauma, also known as overuse injury, is excessive or abnormal stress applied to a tissue caused by continuous training or inadequate rest between sessions. Examples of microtrauma include tendinitis and stress fractures.

Most of these injuries are treatable, but a proper warm-up consisting of light aerobic work and stretching reduces the risk of injury by increasing muscle elasticity and the efficiency of muscular contractions. It is important to raise the body's core temperature through low-intensity aerobic work, such as jumping rope, light weight training, cycling, or walking briskly on a treadmill prior to initiating flexibility or stretching exercises.

Flexibility exercises should be performed prior to competition and also after competition. Through proper stretching prior to competition, you increase the length of your muscles, allowing for a greater range of motion in your joints. This minimizes the risk of injury, spasms, soreness and stress on various tissues of the body. Stretching within 5-10 minutes post-competition improves range of motion because of increased muscle temperature, allowing for greater stretch magnitude, and potentially reducing the degree of muscular soreness.

There are 3 types of stretching: static stretch, ballistic stretch, and dynamic stretch. A static stretch is slow and constant, held at the end position for 30 seconds to elongate the muscle. The risk of injury with static stretching is very low and is appropriate for athletes in various sports. An example of static stretching is a seated toe touch to stretch the hamstrings, where the athlete sits on the ground with knees straight, leans forward at the waist, and slowly reaches for the ankles until mild discomfort is felt. Hold for 30 seconds and slowly return to an upright position.

Ballistic stretching uses bouncing-type movements where the end position is not held. This type of stretching is typically used during the warm-up period, however ballistic stretching may injure muscles, particularly when there is a history of injury to the muscle. An example of ballistic stretching is the same seated toe touch as previously mentioned. Rather than holding the end position, the athlete bounces at the end position and immediately returns to the start position. With each repetition, the end position exceeds the previous repetition. Ballistic stretching is not the preferred method and should be avoided by athletes with low back or hamstring injuries.

Dynamic stretching uses sport-specific movements to gain flexibility. This type of stretching is very common to athletes participating in track-and-field, volleyball, soccer, golf and baseball. An example of dynamic stretching is alternating high kicks to the front of the body while walking to stretch the hamstrings. The athlete goes gently into the end position repeatedly, thereby warming the target muscle and providing an adequate stretch. Dynamic stretching is often done prior to competition and static stretching is commonly performed following competition.

Finally, a few general tips to avoid injury during stretching: stretch slowly, hold static stretches at minimum 15 seconds, breathe out lightly as you stretch, and stretch within your anatomical limits; stretch to the point of tension – not pain.

Reference:

Baechle, Thomas R, Earle, Roger W. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning 2 nd edition. 2000.