Staying active and fit is a hallmark of health.  

That's why it's so important to make sure you're doing everything you can to avoid injury. 

In this video we'll cover the 5 most important steps you can take to avoid injury. 

Nothing glamorous or magic here - but the basics that will help keep you injury free for a long time.

1. Warm Up:

Engaging in activity without warming up is like speeding your car right out of the driveway on a freezing cold day. It'll stress your body and all your muscles, tendons and ligaments are tighter when 'cold'.  

Start with some brisk walking or body weight calesthenics for a good 10 minutes before you go off on your run or strength session.  This will allow the blood to circulate and heat up those active tissues, making them looser and more elastic. 

2. Sport-Specific Strength Training:

Strengthening specific areas of your body outside of the activity you do for your sport will help keep those tissues stronger and more resistant to injury. 

For example, as a runner your legs are probably really strong.  But, if you strengthen your core muscles, low back and even upper body you'll avoid some common injuries that runners tend to suffer in the rest of their bodies. 

Strength training doesn't mean hours in the gym - just 30 minutes, three times a week will make you a much better (and stronger) overall athlete.

3. Get Good Sleep

Most of our physical healing occurs during sleep.  If you're not sleeping well, this can drastically impede your body's ability to repair and recover.  We secrete most of our growth hormone during deep sleep as well - growth hormone plays a major role in tissue repair.

In short, if you're not sleeping you can't recover fully, and you'll be much more prone to physical injury. 

4. Keep Cortisol Low

Cortisol is vital to our health, but excess high levels will contribute to the breakdown of our tissues.  This occurs very subtly over time.  If cortisol levels remain high for several months, a person may notice more injuries. 

Keeping cortisol low starts with managing stressors, and getting good sleep. 

We use Cortisol Recovery to help keep cortisol low at night, so that our sleep is deep and restorative. 

5. Stretch & Bodywork

After you use your body, you've got to help get the imbalances out that are a natural consequence of physical activity.  Tight muscles are accidents waiting to happen.  

You can 'teach' them to be loser, yet firm with regular stretching and other forms of bodywork like foam rolling or massage. 

There you have it.  5 simple ways to help prevent injuries.  Watch the video below for more detail!