Common Causes of Overuse Injuries

An overuse injury is commonly referred to as a joint or muscle injuries - such as stress fracture, or tendinitis; something caused by repetitive trauma. The most common cause of overuse injuries include, but are not limited to: 

Errors During Training - One of the most common training errors is to take on too much physical activity, in a short period. When you start going too fast, your body does not get time to catch up. In the process, it strains your muscles and leads to an overuse injury. 

Errors Perfecting Technique - A common mistake that can cause overuse injury is practising the wrong technique. Improper techniques take a horrible toll on your body and can yield imperfect workings. When you take on a poor form when swinging a golf club, strength training, or even throwing a ball - you might overload your muscle to cause an injury. 

How To Avoid Overuse Injury

Fortunately, most overuse injuries are avoidable, and all you need to do to prevent them is: 

Proper Gear & Form  - Using the correct equipment can help you avoid a horrible overuse injury. It does not matter if you have been taking part in an activity for years now, you need proper gear and form to ensure your body stays in great shape. 

Pace Yourself  - While it might not feel like it at the time, but your body needs you to slow down and regroup. It does not matter how old you are; every fitness program includes a cool-down period. Dividing and conquering any objective can help you refrain from an overuse injury. For instance, rather than taking on 30 minutes of moderate physical activity in a single day, you can break it down into two sets of 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes at the start of the day, and 15 minutes before you go to bed. 

Gradual Increase  - When you change your workout's duration or intensity, it's best to stick to a slow and steady technique. When you take on something too quickly, your muscles don't get the time to re-adjust. Think of the process as moulding your body, something that takes time. For instance, if you wish to add more weight to your strength training sessions. We suggest you add 10% weight each week, rather than making a jump. 

Mixing Routine  - Rather than focusing on a single type of routine, it's best to mix things up every once in a while. With variety you keep your muscles working in different ways, making sure they can easily take a slight changer now and then.

How To Recover From Overuse Injury

Once you feel you have an overuse injury, it's best to start by consulting your health care physician. Someone who knows your history can help you figure out the perfect way to recover from the injury. Most commonly, you are required to: 

• Take a break from the activity and take part in something mild.
• Going through every change, you have recently made to your workout routine.
• Keep track of the intensity, duration, frequency, and type of exercises.

These aspects can help you assess the problem and can help avoid overuse injuries in the coming years. Once you feel your injury has healed, you can ask your doctor to check your motion, strength, flexibility, and balance before returning to your old routine.

Yours in self-care,

Adrian Wilk