How to Avoid Injury Every Single Workout for Any Type of Training

Let’s just get right into it, shall we?

Perform the following in the order written:

1. Myofascial or self-massage with foam roller and ball; however, gently and with a sense of haste. You can prematurely fatigue yourself by doing too much of this preworkout so don’t drag it out.
2. Mobility drills. Same caveat as number one. This isn’t the workout; this is the warm-up. Get it done and move on.
3. Hops, jumps, and crawls as part of a dynamic warmup to ready your body for your main workout.
4. Main workout (with a proper progression of intensity).
5. Flexibility training and cool down.

How to Manage an Existing Injury for Continued Training

Nothing changes in the routine above, but there are two important considerations that accompany it:

i. The mechanism of injury will be the last exercise (or movement or whatever it was) to be attempted (usually two to six weeks after initial insult was received); however, continue to train if possible, particularly the surrounding tissues. The blood flow will facilitate healing and ensure that any scar tissue that forms will be healthier.

ii. Use some type of compression or protective shell over the injury site where applicable (and there are very few instances where this isn’t possible). Shock Doctor has an entire line of gear specifically designed for back-to-play protection.

Fitness is more than how hard you can hit, how much you can lift, or how many rounds you can roll. Your ability to sustain the activity you enjoy is based entirely around your ability to manage fatigue and/or injuries.

Also, learn the difference between “hurt” and “injured.” If you’re injured, that requires medical intervention and a strict adherence to a rehabilitation protocol in addition to what was written above.

If you’re hurt, manage it. Return to play (“RTP”) isn’t that difficult if you learn to work with whatever limitations you’re experiencing from being hurt.