A few days ago, while watching the Golden State Warriors go against the Houston Rockets, we saw Warriors forward Kevin Durant land awkwardly after a jumpshot. Why do these athletes, who get paid huge amounts of money, have the best trainers, nutritionists, micro-managed sleep and recovery, still get injured? There are lessons here for all of us who engage in sports:
Intense work for long durations
People see what goes into the game. What they don’t see is the amount of work throughout the year that high-caliber athletes spend honing their craft. To get better in skill, one cannot avoid stressing their muscles and bones.
There’s more pressure in the playoffs
It’s the “old adage” that the playoffs are more intense. But truly, when it’s go-time for these athletes, the pressure is on. The intensity is ramped up on each possession. More intensity equals higher risk. That’s not to say we shouldn’t exercise with intensity but exercise and sports performance are two different, although similar, things.
Effects of travel like jetlag
NBA players go through so much travel, and most of us already know that flying causes stress to our systems.
So how can we prevent these injuries? Observe a few simple rules such as getting enough rest before exercise, not pushing your body to its limit all the time, and managing your stress. Also, maintain having a strength and conditioning program that emphasizes injury prevention equally as athletic performance. We’re not going to be NBA players but if we push our bodies to the limit all the time and not train intelligently, we can get their injuries as well. So before training hard, always take the time to train smart.