How to avoid a sporting injury? You can minimise your risk of getting hurt

A sprained ankle can catch even the most seasoned fitness enthusiast off guard. So whatever it is you do for exercise, it's worth familiarising yourself with the RICE regime: rest, ice, compress, elevate. A serious ankle sprain can take up to eight weeks to heal. The good news is the majority of sporting injuries can be avoided with the right gear, technique and a little patience.

Running

Common injuries: Wear and tear on joints, in particular ankles, knees and hips; shin splints; pulled muscles; sprained ligaments; stress fractures.

Why: From pounding hard surfaces; wearing incorrect shoes; not building up slowly in training.

Avoid by: Getting the right footwear; building up slowly.

You don't see too many older people jogging or running and there's a valid reason for this. Over a period of time, it certainly wears out joints because it's a pounding activity. A fast walk that gets your heart rate up is better than a slow jog in terms of cardiovascular benefits, and because of what it does to your joints, ankles and knees in particular, and hips to some extent. Runners tend to do too much too soon, risking pulling a muscle, spraining a ligament and shin splints or stress fractures from pounding hard surfaces.

Get into training slowly in terms of pace and distance. Make sure you have the right shoe. You need a running shoe rather than a cross-trainer because they've been designed to absorb different types of impact forces.

 

Cycling

Common injuries: Injuries from falling off or being hit by a car; back and shoulder pain; knee or hand damage.

Why: Insufficient caution and awareness or bad luck; not setting up the bike to suit your body; gripping handlebars too hard.

Avoid by: Wearing a helmet and the right gear; setting your bike up correctly.

Cycling is a great way to keep fit outdoors, but the most serious injuries occur from falling off the bike or being hit by a car. That's why wearing a helmet and the right gear is crucial.
Other injuries, such as back and shoulder pain or knee and hand damage, occur from a bike that doesn't fit your body, incorrect posture and overextending yourself. Cycling is a fairly injury-free activity, especially for recreational cyclists.

Be cautious of where you ride and be very alert. You should get your bike set up correctly with correct balance and not be too heavy on hands or feet. Adjusting the seat height and learning to spin rather than pushing heavy gears can help relieve pressure on knees and hips. Standing and riding with a straight back can ease lower back pain, while not gripping the handles too firmly can eliminate tingling or numbness in the fingers or palms.

Yoga

Common injuries: Torn ligaments or strained muscles; dislocated joints (if prone to joint problems).

Why: Overstretching.

Avoid by: Listening to your body.

Those who turn to yoga who have been inactive for a while are at greater risk of injury, including tearing a ligament or straining a muscle. People who have had joint replacements need to be careful not to dislocate the joint. On the whole, yoga is safe. Most people should have the common sense to listen to what their body's telling them and if it's telling them it's going to an extreme, back off.

It's important to take classes from a qualified instructor and be careful if you've had recent back pain. Just stretch as far as you can to a comfort point, not any further. Flexibility will build up over time; patience is key.

 

At the gym

Common injuries: Tendonitis; shin splints; stress fractures.

Why: Insufficient warm-up or warm-down; doing too much too soon; not wearing the right shoes.

Avoid by: Easing yourself into your routine.

Start slowly, and ensure your gym has a well-sprung floor (rather than concrete). Also, get the right shoes and start with low-impact classes. Improper technique can result in soft-tissue damage, and warm-up is crucial.

A gym program needs 15 to 20 minutes of warm-up and 10 to 15 minutes warm-down, depending on the intensity of the middle block of training. Learning how to lift weights correctly is also important in preventing strains.