Three very important safety tips before during and after workouts

The biggest mistake anyone who works out can make is to not prioritize safety. If you find yourself guilty of this, it’s high time you change your methods. Let’s look at some ways to ensure a safe workout before, during, and after training.

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Warm-up, stretch, and cool down

Warming up and stretching your muscles before you train is a must, especially if you’re working out early in the morning. In the early hours of the day, muscles are cold and tight and may be injured easily. Warming them up and stretching them is a way to get them ready.

After workouts, a good stretch and a cool down routine allow blood to flow regularly again. This saves you from a lot of muscle pain in the hours and days to come.

Proper form

Weightlifting form has been developed throughout history to keep the body from injuring itself. Observe proper form, especially when lifting weights to make sure your muscles and skeletal structure support each other in the correct manner.

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Neatness of the place

This is probably the most important rule, especially if you’re training in a public gym. After lifting weights, put them back where you got them. The same thing goes for other equipment such as Bosu balls, plyo boxes, bands, and the like. Even the smallest, most non-threatening pieces of gym equipment may cause a bad fall.

Ryan Shephard here, future sports therapist. I am currently a student at the University of Michigan majoring in athletic training. These days, I have courses in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology. I'm enjoying learning from the industry's best. What's even more interesting is that I also get to work with the country's top athletes. For more insightful reads on training and working out, visit this blog.

What do strength and conditioning coaches do?

A strength and conditioning or S&C coach is typically in charge of four aspects of an athlete’s training program: improving power and strength, developing the energy required for the specific sport, style, and position of the player, reducing the potential for injury and burnout, and assisting in recovery, should an injury occur.

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Their work generally complements those of other exercise instructors and personal trainers, as they all aim to improve our overall fitness. The main difference is that their methods are sport-specific, which is why they primarily work with athletes.

S&C coaches are mandatory in most modern sports, from boxing, MMA, and football to basketball, golf, and swimming. The equipment and resources at their disposal are often more extensive than the ones we often find in fitness centers, as their main objective is to provide strength and power to dedicated athletes. Aside from being employed by professional sports franchises, S&C coaches are often hired by schools, physical therapy centers, and high-end fitness centers.

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The top reason serious athletes train with an S&C coach is to develop the correct technique to be truly competitive in their given sport, particularly in regard to qualities like rotational, reactive, and explosive strength. They are also aware that S&C coaches provide them with their necessary nutrition and motivational needs, as well as quick recovery guidance.

Hello, there. I’mRyan Shephard, a student at the University of Michigan. I’m hoping to have a career in professional sports training and rehab. Thankfully, my courses allow me to learn anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology. For similar reads, visit this blog.

Qualities you need in an athletic trainer

Today, it’s almost imperative that a sports team have an athletic trainer as part of the coaching staff.   Athletic trainers are professional healthcare personnel who look after the health and wellbeing of players during training and games.  They treat injuries and can even spot problems before they turn into something big and career-threatening.  If you’re looking for an athletic trainer for your team, here are some qualities to take note of.

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Prepared for anything

In sports, anything can happen.  A bad fall can mean the end of a player’s career and responding quickly to the incident may very well save that player’s career.  When interviewing an athletic trainer, go through their experiences and ask their professional opinion on previous predicaments you and your players experienced before.

High ethical standards

Some athletic trainers turn a blind eye on players who use performance-enhancing drugs.  But this isn’t just the case where ethics are tested.  An unethical athletic trainer would allow a player to risk further injuries by continuing to play when they are not in the best shape.

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Honest and trustworthy

Players and coaches don’t need to have sugarcoated opinions.  If a player needs to be benched to avoid injuries, the athletic trainer says so.  They also need to be approachable so that players feel at ease talking to them after games or during training.

Ryan Shephard here, future sports therapist. I am currently a student at the University of Michigan majoring in Athletic Training. These days, I have courses in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology. I'm enjoying learning from the industry's best. What's even more interesting is that we also get to work with the country's top athletes. For more insightful reads on athletic trainers, visit this blog.

Wrist and hand injuries you can get while playing sports

The wrist and hand combine to provide people the ability to lift and carry objects, using them as they please.  Athletes are prone to sustaining injuries in these parts or develop a condition involving them, which is why care and caution are necessary when using the wrists and hands.  Here are some common injuries to watch out for.

Tendonitis

This is the inflammation, swelling, or irritation of a tendon, and it often results from overuse.  Typically, the tendon becomes irritated when people start a new activity or exercise.

Distal radius fracture

Also known as a broken wrist, this commonly experienced fracture in the body involves the radius bone, a long forearm bone.  A distal radius fracture takes place near the wrist joint on the thumb side, usually taking place from a fall onto an outstretched arm.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

This is a frequently occurring disorder that happens even without playing sports, but just the same it causes pain as well as tingling in the hand, wrist, thumb, and the first three fingers.  Risk factors include having a small carpal tunnel, being female, aging, having wrist trauma or injury, and having certain conditions such as hypothyroidism or diabetes.

Tennis elbow

This overuse injury involves a tendon on the outside of the forearm, which fails and starts to tear away from the bone.  The injury originates near the elbow but may be painful down the forearm.

’Basketball finger’

This occurs during an athletic activity where the hand comes in contact with a ball, ranging in severity from a sprain to a dislocation. 

Ryan Shephard is studying to become a certified sports and rehabilitation specialist. He is majoring in athletic training at the University of Michigan. And has courses in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology. Read more on this site.