Chapter Outline

INJURY PREVENTION

• There are four main reasons injuries occur: overuse; poor footwear; weakness and inflexibility of opposition muscles; and mechanical problems.

OVERUSE

• To improve fitness, you must overload, or push, beyond normal demands.

• Overuse injuries commonly occur at the beginning of a new exercise program and account for the majority of injuries.

• The goal is to exercise so that improvement occurs, but without excessive overloading. Increase only 10 percent weekly.

FOOTWEAR

• Wearing improper or worn-out shoes places added stress on hips, knees, ankles and feet.

• Each time your foot hits the ground when jogging, the force of impact is three to five times your body weight.

• Exercise shoes lose about one-third of their ability to absorb shock after 400 to 500 miles of use. It is recommended to replace regularly-used exercise shoes every 6 months.

WEAKNESS AND INFLEXIBILITY

• Aerobic activities tend to shorten and tighten muscles used repetitively, leaving opposing, relatively unused muscles weak.

• The solution is to stretch the tight muscles and strengthen the weak ones.

MECHANICS

• Different gait styles, body mechanics and structural weaknesses (i.e., high arches, overpronation, supination, or flat feet) can overstress one area, increasing risk of injury.

• Select shoes based on foot structure. Specially-made orthotics may also help.

P.R.I.C.E

• When injuries do occur, proper treatment results in rapid healing and recovery. The acronym P.R.I.C.E. describes proper treatment

• P = PROTECT the injured area from further tissue damage.

• R = REST the injured area for 24 to 72 hours or more.

• I = ICE the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes three times a day for at least the first 48 to 72 hours.

• C = COMPRESS the injured part with an elastic wrap.

• E = ELEVATE the injured area above the level of the heart.

HEAT AND PAIN RELIEVERS

• Heat should not be applied to an injury during the first 48 to 72 hours ; and only applied after swelling has completely subsided.

• Over-the-counter liniments and balms produce a warm feeling in muscles, but is only superficial, having no healing effect.

COMMON INJURIES

• Everyone should know the potential causes of, symptoms of, and treatments for the following common fitness injuries/discomforts:

Ankle sprain	Muscle soreness
Blisters	Muscle strain
Bursitis	Patellofemoral syndrome
Chafing	Shin Splints
Heel spur	Side stitch
Iliotibial band syndrome	Stress fracture
Muscle cramp	Tendonitis

WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL HELP

• Professional medical assistance should be sought if one of the following symptoms occurs: pain has not decreased after several days; a "pop" or "snap" was heard when the injury occurred; weight cannot be beared; the body part is not in its natural anatomical position.

GETTING BACK INTO ACTION

• There are three steps to getting back into action: move the injured part as early as possible to regain range of motion; build strength; and progress slowly to former activity level.

CARE OF THE LOWER BACK

• Back pain is one of the most common conditions affecting Americans---second only to the common cold as a reason for seeing a physician.

• Eighty percent of Americans will experience back pain sometime in their life.

• Most back pain is preventable with exercise, good posture, and good lifting techniques.

WAYS TO AVOID LOWER BACK PAIN

• Maintain strong abdominal muscles and back flexibility.

• Maintain normal weight and general fitness.

• Sleep on a firm mattress in the fetal position.

• Use proper lifting mechanics.

LOWER BACK INJURIES

• Excessive bending or twisting, or lifting a heavy weight can injure back ligaments or rupture an intervertebral disc.

EXERCISES FOR THE LOWER BACK

• Abdominal curls, pelvic tilts, cat stretches, low back stretches, and lying hamstring stretches are just a few of the exercises that will help strengthen the abdominals and stretch the back.