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27 Jan 2025Britain’s Helen Richardson-Walsh won Olympic Gold in the 2016 Olympics, but some people don’t know she’d experienced debilitating injuries that led to severe depression. After the Sydney Olympics, she ruptured a tendon in her ankle and couldn’t play hockey for two years. Several years later, she ruptured a disc during the London Olympics. Two injuries caused her to miss important competitions triggering severe depression. Few realize how injuries impact an athlete mentally as well as physically.
When you’re an active person or busy athlete, an injury can knock you down and even threaten to end your career or the activities you love. According to the University of Tennessee paper, between 14% and 32% of competitive athletes are forced to retire because of severe injuries. The injury itself isn’t the only issue. The abrupt end of a career can trigger anxiety and depression.
It’s impossible to guarantee you’ll go through your life without ever being injured. With the help of Premium Sports & Orthopedics, you can take steps to prevent injuries. Stretching techniques are one way to do this.
Understanding Musculoskeletal System
Muscles and bones are a big part of your body’s support structure. It’s what makes your body look like it does, protects the internal organs, and enables your movements. There’s more to it than that, however. You also have your cartilage, ligaments, and tendons that support joints and connect bones that form a joint. The main parts of the musculoskeletal system are:
- Bones – Provide structural support.
- Cartilage – Absorbs shock in your joints.
- Joints – Forms where two bones meet, such as your elbow, knee, or shoulder.
- Ligaments – Connect bones to other bones.
- Muscles – Help with movements and bodily processes like breathing and digestion.
- Tendons – Connect muscles to bones.
One thing you may not realize is that your musculoskeletal system is also responsible for storing essential minerals like calcium and vitamin D. It’s the system that makes red and white blood cells. Without a strong musculoskeletal system, your life wouldn’t be the same. That’s why injury prevention is essential.
The Types of Stretching That Help Prevent Injuries
Injury prevention starts by making sure you perform stretches before and after a practice or game. You also need to stretch during the off-season or throughout the week to keep your muscles toned and your joints flexible. Several different types of stretching help prevent injuries.
Active Isolated (AIS)
AIS stretching is a fast stretch that forces your muscles to stretch and recoil in a matter of seconds. It’s a good way to avoid injury while increasing flexibility. It helps with pain relief because it improves circulation and blood flow. It can also help boost the blood chemicals that make you feel relaxed and happier. Proper form is essential, so it’s best to work with a specialist in sports and orthopedics.
With AIS, you stretch a muscle by focusing on the movement of another muscle for just a few seconds. For example, you want to isolate and stretch your quads. With AIS, you stand with a wall or chair for support, lift your foot behind you, and use your opposite hand to pull your foot to your buttocks. The quads stretch in the process. Complete this quick stretch in repetitions of 10.
Ballistic
Ballistic stretches should only be attempted under the guidance of a professional. They’re stretches that push your musculoskeletal system to the limit. If you are playing baseball and need to jump higher to catch a ball, you’d do stretches that involve more jumping, springing, and bouncing than your body is used to.
Dynamic
Dynamic or functional stretches are often used in a warmup because they copy movements and target the muscles that you will use during a workout. If you’re about to play football, the stretches you do should mimic actions you complete in a game, such as sudden spins, sprints, and leaps to catch a pass.
Isometric
Isometric is a form of static stretches that are best for maintaining strength after you’ve built your muscles. It’s a form where you engage the muscles without moving, such as a plank or wall sit.
Myofascial Release
There’s a way to increase the range of motion by using massage techniques that ease muscle tension. You use a massage roller or tennis ball and roll it over the area to ease pain and stiffness. You can learn these techniques to do at home, but you should learn how to do them properly.
Static
Static stretches can be active or passive. Active stretches involve the use of force applied by yourself to boost the intensity of the stretch. A lunge is an active stress as you’re using the force of your upper body weight to increase intensity during the lunge.
Passive stretches involve the use of someone or something else. Lying on your stomach while someone else pushes your bent leg towards your buttocks while you try to straighten your leg is an example.
Things to Keep in Mind
Your goal is to stretch your muscles and prevent injury. Your safety is important, and that’s why we recommend working with a physical therapist to know how hard to push your body and what movements best prepare you for the game you play.
Never jump right into the game without warming up. A warm-up is essential to get the blood flowing and warm the muscles so that they’re ready for movement. Make sure you warm up by doing some jumping jacks, a slow jog around the field, or another warm-up exercise your doctor recommends.
Don’t save your stretching until the day before a game or practice. You need to stretch throughout the week for at least 10 minutes. If you have more time, extend your fitness session. The more you stretch and work your muscles, the better it is for your flexibility and range of motion.
Listen to your joints, muscles, and body. If something hurts a lot when you do it, stop and take a break. Continuing to exercise after you feel sharp pains or a snap is going to cause greater injury. If an injury is too severe, you may not bounce back from it.
When you’re using stretches to prevent an injury, it’s beneficial to work with a sports and orthopedic specialist. You need to perform the stretches and maintain the proper form. If you don’t, you risk injury.
Premium Sports & Orthopedics has openings and helps all levels of athletes achieve their athletic goals without causing avoidable injuries. If you are injured, work with us to ensure you heal quickly and properly. We’ll help you learn how to properly stretch before your game or practice, too.
