Ibrahimovic out 1 week with leg muscle injury, Clips' Gordon out at least 10 days with injury, Lofa Tatupu out for the season with torn pectoral muscle…
Headlines like these litter our media outlets and potentially ruin the careers of professional athletes. Is the intensity and frequency in which these injuries happen related to the sport itself or are some people more prone to suffer muscle tears, sprains, and pulls? While their may be an argument for or against this discussion based on personality type and a sense of hypochondria for the injury prone, this question focuses more on the ability for you to take care of the muscles you have, injury prone or not.
While not as common in everyday activity, a groin injury may be one of the worst muscles to aggravate. Stretching from the groin area to the inside of the knee, the adductor muscles are a group of three muscles that support complete leg function and mobility. Like most other muscle injuries, a groin pull can be prevented but there are unique characteristics to every body that may make prevention more difficult. Most of the factors attributing to a muscle injury exist because of lack of preparation. Overexertion causes muscle fatigue and lack of support and the neglect of a proper warm up before beginning exercise can result in the tightening of the muscle, making it more susceptible to tearing.
Most of these factors are associated to the prevention of a sports related injury and you may need to do more, in the long term, to protect yourself from tears, sprains, and pulls. Keeping your muscles nourished and strong is critical to maintaining their maximum health.
Ways to do this include:
• Strength Training – This can range from a strict regimen of weight lifting to the everyday activities of lifting heavy objects around the home. But you need more than a trip to gym to keep your muscles active and in shape.
• Proper Nutrition – Diets high in protein and iron produce lean strong muscles. Avoiding refined grains and choosing more whole grain options helps build and repair muscle.
• Exercise – For voluntary exercise one should warm up, stretch, and cool down before and after working out. Stretching loosens your muscles and increases flexibility. Cardiovascular exercise like running, walking, swimming, and other sports is a great way to keep your most important muscle, your heart, healthy and strong.
Eating right and staying active is your best defense against muscle injury. Those who are prone to injury often push their bodies past its limits. Its important to know your muscle flexibility and strength threshold and the steps to keeping your muscles healthy above will help to extend your threshold and keep you injury free.