weeks to allow the body to adjust and
when comfortable, increase the intensity
or volume.
By Dr Michael Kinchintgon, PhD
The old proverb slow and steady wins the
race is true here.
2. Schedule rest sessions and
lighter training sessions
Every body is different and tolerate loads
differently. But one thing is certain: injury
will occur when loading of the body is
too aggressive at a rate that the body
cannot sustain.
THREE TIPS
FOR LOWER LIMB
INJURY PREVENTION
In professional sport, we use “recovery
weeks.” This ensures over-training is
kept in check and the body recovers
adequately between bouts of intensive
exercise. For example weeks one to
two may be a high intensity session,
training in week three incorporates
slightly reduced RPE (rates of perceived
exertion), including a stretch class, yoga
or massage. Week four sees an increase
in the intensity measured by RPE. Then
conclude the “training set” with a
light session during week five, which
incorporates low impact exercise such as
swimming or pool running.
3. Understand shoe
fundamentals
Footwear is the key to preventing injury
and enhance performance, for all
weight bearing sports.
Give clients simple shoe tips to help them
out along the way. These include:
• Beware of old shoes.
The life of a shoe ranges from 300km
to 800km depending upon style of
shoe and the wearer’s body weight.
• Correct shoe per foot type.
A high arched foot requires a
different shoe (e.g., cushioned
and flexible) to a flat foot (sturdy
structured supportive shoe); a 120kg
person requires a wide base of
support with dense foam shoe unlike
a 60kg body frame that would
want less dense foam and flexible
support.
• Shoe fitting.
Shoes should allow a thumb width
from end of longest toe to end of
shoe. The outside edge of the foot
should not over-hand the outsole.
A good tip is to buy shoes at end of
day when the foot is ten per cent
larger in volume than the start of the
day.
• Change up the style of shoe.
Varying the type of training shoe
used every four to six weeks for one
to two sessions will alter the way the
body accepts load and will improve
proprioception-balance.
Changes in footwear conditions
(e.g., from a volume trainer to
either minimal or maximal footwear
option) will not change the amount
of load entering your body, but will
load different muscles, tendons and
joints. This is a good thing.
“For over 5 years, GymLink have consistently provided me
with qualified leads and enquiries. The lead generation
program is a must for every fitness business.”
N
othing interrupts
sporting and
exercise
participation like injury.
Lower limb injury statistics
are high. Scientific research
indicates that injury to
the foot, ankle, shin, calf,
Achilles and knee accounts
for more than 70 per cent
of all injury. Dr Michael
Kinchington PhD provides
these tips for prevention.
16
Amanda Bracks-Taylor
Manager (former), BlueFit Health Clubs
The good news is that most of the injuries
mentioned are preventable. In the world
of sports medicine, there are strategies
that can be put into place to minimise
the effect of injury for your clients. Here
are three tips for the prevention of lower
limb injuries.
known principle that in order to improve
performance you have to exercise at
a high intensity; but beware constant
hard training causes injury and illness as
the systems of the body cannot cope
with the demands of “over-training
syndrome”.
1. Balance the Intensity-Volume
tightrope
Physiologic improvement in sports only
occurs during the rest period following
hard training that makes someone
fitter and stronger. This adaptation is in
response to maximum loading of the
cardiovascular and muscular systems. If
sufficient rest is not included in a training
program, then muscle, bone and joint
regeneration is compromised.
For new-to-exercise or returning clients,
do NOT increase intensity and volume
of exercise at the same time. It is a
Performance will plateau and if an
imbalance between excess training and
inadequate rest persists, performance
will decline. As a guide, at the beginning
of an exercise program the goal is to be
consistent (e.g., three to four times per
week at low intensity); keep the duration
and intensity the same for three to four
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