We’ve heard from many people over the years that they train the way they learned in High School, or worse, the way they saw some character in a movie train!
Here are some tips to bring you into the modern era.
1. Train hard, without overdoing it.
Anxiety reduces your peripheral vision by 3 degrees and slows the reaction time by nearly 120 milliseconds, according to research described in the Journal of Sports Sciences. When the going gets difficult, seasoned athletes rely on skills they’ve trained for and practiced. Doing so keeps them cooler under pressure, widening their peripheral vision so they can react much faster.2. Know where you’re going first.Whether skiing or biking, be sure to have a trial run down any path first. Many injuries can be avoided when you’re familiar with the route.
3.Use bended knees
Almost three quarters of ACL injuries occur when players are turning or landing. If your knees are bent instead of rigid, the risk of injury is much reduced.
4. Run off-road.
If the surface is somewhat unstable, running on it can force your ankles to react more frequently to changes, and over time become more stable.
5. Use proper equipment
Improperly sized equipment or badly fitting gears can cause a multitude of training injuries. Sure fitness equipment is expensive today, but having the proper equipment starts you out right each day.
6. Wait until after work to buy running shoes.
By shopping in the evening, your feet will be swollen, and will fit shoes as if you have been running for approximately three miles.
7. Slowly cool down
Heatstroke may be more common than previously thought, and is not easily cured. To avoid it, always stay cool and hydrated. Be sure not to work out if the combined temperature and humidity is above 160.
8.Try an early swim
Why not schedule your swimming sessions early? The fewer people in the pool means less of everything in the pool, including distractions.
9. Smooth your tendons
Inquire about new ultrasound needle therapy. This procedure is minimally invasive and uses ultrasound to guide a needle. The needle breaks up calcifications, smoothens the bone, and fixes scar tissues. Thirteen out of twenty patients in one study saw improvements, and the sessions take just 15 minutes.
10. Keep your shoulders loose.
Even a modestly injured rotator cuff can slow or shut down the function of a shoulder. Many athletes now include stretching to protect rotator cuffs.
11. Protect your mouth
Wearing a custom-fitted guard for your mouth reduces the risk of injuries by as much as 82 percent, according to researchers at UNC Chapel Hill. Invest in a custom-fitted mouth guard and it’ll last for years, and so will your smile and teeth.
12. Film yourself
The camera doesn’t (usually) lie. Why not tape your training, and have someone well-versed in your training provide a critic of your fitness regimen.
13. Train the right way
Bad technique is just as bad as using poor equipment. Seek advice from pros and trainer about proper technique; it can be invaluable to your routine.
14. Use stop and go
If you play a sport that requires a full sprint, remember that a full sprint strains many muscles in the lower body. To combat this, do stop-and-go exercises, such as running 30 meters at about 80 percent of your effort, slowing to a jog for 5 to 10 meters, then run again for another 30 meters. Stop, then repeat the cycle 5 times.
15. Mix it up
If you’re training or playing in multiple directions, your warm-up should use them as well. Move backward, forward, sideways, and all the other strange motions you might be doing in the “game.”
And finally, make sure to reevaluate your routines from time to time. The problem that many fitness fans face is getting into a rut… not only a mental rut, but a physical one. Without self-examination occasionally, you risk sticking to activities that feel familiar but that may be unhelpful or even harmful.
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