Common Injuries and How To Avoid Them

Pushing your body to the limit is part of the game, but it’s a fine balance of knowing when to rest and when to go further. You never want to get injured! However, whether you’re a competitive athlete or someone who loves the grind, injuries can become an unwelcome reality. From sprained ankles to torn muscles, knowing how to prevent these injuries can be the difference between crushing your goals or being involuntarily sidelined for weeks (or months).

“Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game, and you have to adapt, keep faith, trust, and never give up.” —Raphael Varane

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Here are some of the most common injuries for athletes and how to avoid them.

Sprains and Strains

What Are They?

Sprains happen when ligaments (which connect your bones) are stretched or torn, often in areas like the ankles and wrists. Strains involve muscles or tendons being overstretched or torn, frequently affecting the hamstrings, lower back, or shoulders.

How to Avoid Them:

1. Warm-Up Properly
2. Use Proper Form
3. Do Balanced Strength Training
4. Include Gradual Progression

Too much too soon when your body isn’t ready can cause your muscles and ligaments to overstretch and/or tear. Plus, if your routine isn’t balanced, you could be adding extra strain to your joints.

Tendonitis

What Is It?

Tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon, the thick tissue that connects muscle to bone. Common areas affected include the shoulders, elbows (yes, tennis elbow is a type of tendonitis), knees, and Achilles tendons.

How to Avoid it:

1. Don’t Overtrain
2. Cross-Training
3. Strength and Flexibility

Giving your tendons time to recover between sessions is critical—as is stretching to reduce inflammation and keep the joints limber. Cross-training allows you to hit your movement goals while working different muscles, allowing for critical rest.

Shin Splints

What Are They?

Shin splints cause pain along the shin bone and are common among runners or athletes who have increased their training intensity too quickly. The repetitive impact on the legs can cause small tears in the muscles and inflammation in the tendons.

How to Avoid Them:

1. Choose the Right Footwear
2. Ease Into Running
3. Strengthen Calves and Shins

That feeling of your skin peeling away from your bones? Yeah, we’d like to avoid that. Gradual progression will be key to not overdoing it when it comes to shin splints.

Knee Injuries (Patellar Tendonitis, ACL Tears)

What Are They?

Knee injuries are all too common for athletes, with two of the most frequent being patellar tendonitis (also called jumper’s knee) and ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tears. Patellar tendonitis results from repetitive stress on the knee. An ACL tear is usually caused by sudden stops or changes in direction, making it more common in sports like basketball, soccer, or skiing.

How to Avoid Them:

1. Strengthen the Muscles Around Your Knees
2. Avoid Sudden Changes in Direction
3. Support Your Knees With Proper Footwear

For many sports, sudden changes in direction are impossible to avoid. That’s where strengthening the muscles and wearing proper footwear will come into play. We also have a list of stretches to help you reduce knee pain right here.

Shoulder Injuries (Rotator Cuff Injuries, Dislocations)

What Are They?

Shoulder injuries often affect the rotator cuff, which is an incredibly vulnerable group of muscles and tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint. Common injuries include strains, tears, or dislocations, particularly in athletes who engage in overhead movements (think swimmers, baseball players, and weightlifters).

How to Avoid Them:

1. Strengthen Your Rotator Cuff
2. Improve Mobility and Flexibility
3. Don’t Overload Your Shoulders

Having the correct form is critical for shoulder exercises and building strength. From there, gradual progression will help you strengthen the joint without putting it at risk.

Lower Back Pain

What Is It?

Lower back pain is one of the most common issues for athletes, especially those who lift heavy weights or participate in high-impact sports. It can range from mild discomfort to debilitating pain and often results from muscle strain, herniated discs, or poor posture during exercise.

How to Avoid It:

1. Core Strengthening
2. Proper Lifting Technique
3. Stretch and Mobilize

A strong core will do wonders for your back. We also highly suggest doing yoga to help train for balance, and core strength, and to keep things nice and loose.

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The Importance of Proper Rest and Recovery

No matter how much you train or how clean your diet is, rest and recovery are non-negotiable if you want to avoid injury and see consistent progress. It can be tough to do—when you’re used to grinding daily, the last thing you want is a day off. However, to see real progress, you need it.

Here’s why:

Muscle Repair and Growth: Your muscles don’t grow during your workouts—they grow during recovery. When you rest, your body repairs the micro-tears in your muscles, making them stronger for your next session.

Injury Prevention: Overtraining without adequate rest can lead to burnout and increase the risk of injury. Listen to your body and incorporate rest days into your routine to avoid overuse injuries.

Mental Recovery: Taking a break from the grind also helps prevent mental fatigue, keeping you motivated and focused for your next session.

Resting includes taking active rest days, getting enough sleep, and hydrating properly so that your entire body and mind have everything they need to keep you going on the days you don’t want to. Injuries may be part of the game, but with the right approach, you can minimize your risk and keep progressing toward your goals. Warm up properly, focus on good form, build strength, and, most importantly, prioritize recovery—especially if an injury does occur.