The best way to heal an injury is to prevent it in the first place. There are several ways to achieve this goal.
Warm up and Cool Down
It’s tempting to jump right into your workout, especially if it’s a beautiful day and you want to go for a run. It’s also tempting to carry on with your day as soon as you are done working out. However, evidence shows that warming up your muscles before a workout and cooling down afterward play an important role in injury prevention.
. You can find a great list of warm-up exercises here.
Drink Water
Proper hydration is important to our overall fitness, so this should be no surprise. The more you exercise, the more water you need to keep everything moving like a well-oiled machine.
Eat the Right Foods in the Right Amounts
Talk to a nutritionist or your doctor about the kinds of exercises you are doing and with what intensity. They will be able to tell you if you need to increase your intake of carbs or protein or if you are doing ok where you are.
Don’t Be Ashamed to Rest
If your body is sore or if you are feeling exhausted, there is no shame in taking a rest day. Pushing yourself over the limit is perhaps the surest way to open the door to injuries.
There is a great list of injury prevention resources for child athletes here as well. You can search by sport and they make a long list of choices available.
Using the right equipment also has a role in injury prevention. Quality resistive bands and tubing, exercise mats and massage therapy tools can make a true difference in your ability to avoid injury.