AS trainers, we must always do our best to minimize the risk of injuries. I do not think injuries in sports and fitness can wholly be prevented, but there are factors within our control that can make the lives of exercisers better. Accidents do happen in the playing field, especially in competitive situations, however, care can be given in the design of training programs to ensure that we can keep our clients healthy for a long time.
Here are some points that, I believe, are essential to follow:
Think of rest. Always think of how a particular person will recover from training. I think going hard is essential but rest is as essential as well.
Optimize your program. There are some exercises you can lift heavy with, and some exercises you can do plenty reps of. Crossfit popularized the use of barbells, which was a good thing, but it is still not wise to be doing Olympic Lifts for multiple reps as in circuit training. Lifting heavy loads in a ballistic manner is one good way to get hurt especially if you haven’t mastered the technique.
Go light when necessary. This is something I wish I knew earlier. Lifting light allows the exerciser to focus on technique and mastery. Oftentimes, we see too many eager people going too heavy, too soon to the detriment of their joints and long-term fitness journey.
Work with someone who keeps a close eye on you. It’s important to be supervised with someone who knows what they’re doing. I’ve seen some trainers teach clients how to squat without knowing how to squat themselves. Look for trainers with both experience and expertise to back them up in this field. I cannot stress enough the importance of experience.
Listen to your body. Regardless of how fired up the music is, or how motivating the coaches are, only you know what the real condition of your readiness to train is. So when the mojo isn’t there, don’t be afraid to back off and train lighter.
I believe if we do these tips in our fitness practices, these can go a long way to ensuring our joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments stay healthy for a long time.