Strength Training for Injury Prevention
If we look at what is strength training we can see how it has been a part of sports conditioning for many years. It is a key fact for its effects on speed, strength, and agility and muscle mass.
Strength training is a very effective tool for injury prevention for a variety of reasons.
Strength training improves the strength of the muscles, tendons, and even the ligaments and bones. The stronger muscles and tendons help hold the body in proper alignment and protect the bones and joints when moving or under impact. The bones become stronger due to the overload placed on them during training and the ligaments become more flexible and better at absorbing the shock applied to them during dynamic movements.
When an area of the body is used less during an activity it may become weak compared to other areas. This can become a problem when that area (whether a muscle, ligament, joint, or specific bone) is called into play suddenly during an activity. That area cannot handle the sudden stress placed on it and an injury occurs. Strength training, using a balanced program, will eliminate these weak areas and balance the body for the activities it is called to do.
Muscle imbalances are one of the most common causes of injuries. When one muscle, or muscle group, becomes stronger than its opposing group, the weaker muscles become fatigued quicker and more susceptible to injury.
Muscle imbalances also affect the joints and bones due to an abnormal pull causing the joint to move in an unnatural pattern. The stronger muscles will cause the joint to pull in that direction causing a stretching of the opposing ligaments and a tightening of the supporting ones. These can lead to chronic pain and an unnatural wearing of the bones.
A balanced strength-training program will help to counter these effects by strengthening the weaker muscles to balance them with their counterparts.
This way we can say, Strength Training is a great tool to keep us healthy and in good form to practice either a sport or simply daily activities.
Request a complimentary first session at Vertex Fitness, Voted the BEST Personal Training Studio on the Main Line
Click HEREÂ and we will schedule a session to try it yourself
Complimentary First Workout Session
Dave Young
December 29, 2015 3:49 pmStrength training is a necessary component of any intelligent activity program, and is therefore de facto recommended—no other justification necessary. What causes any person to be maximally resistant to injury is not the inclusion of strength training alone, but rather the lack of variety and quality in the other physical challenges. For example, distance runners have neither variety nor quality in their activity, which automatically makes them more prone to injury (statistics will obviously back this up). Lack of variety is inherent in the myopic devotion to this single activity (leaving little time for other types of challenges), and the low quality of the work is indicated by the unnatural surfaces (concrete and asphalt) and the limited range of motion used in this activity. This results in weakened opposing muscles AND weakened stabilizers, both of which contribute to increased incidence of injury. This is just one example. The real injury prevention work is variety including work that features full range of motion, and working on natural surfaces, which inherently trains all stabilizers. The combination leaves nothing untrained, and provides the maximum resistance to injury. Thanks for letting me chime in.
David Labuschagne
December 30, 2015 3:49 amThe benefits of strength training for injury prevention and rehabilitation are indisputable. No arguments there. As a preliminary to discussing what makes for an effective strength program or regimen, it’s necessary to consider what is meant by ‘strength’. Are we referring to force, power, endurance, toughness, vigour, steadfastness? And what about symmetry, balance, fluidity, rhythm? Developing each of these qualities requires it’s own approach, however all too often I’ve observed that strength training programs are one-dimensional with a bias towards basic hypertrophy. Don’t exercise harder – exercise smarter (and enjoy)!
May the force be with you.