Athlete Cheat Sheet: 5 Ways to Protect Joints

100% save yourself from the risk of damage to the joints is impossible. But with the right approach to training and lifestyle it is quite realistic to reduce the chance of injury to a minimum.

Most professional athletes, and often amateurs from time to time, are injured. Bones, muscles, ligaments and, of course, joints suffer from strong physical exertion. They are damaged most often in contact sports. Often, athletes are injured while running, jumping or performing strength exercises. 

100% save yourself from the risk of damage to the joints is impossible. But with the right approach to training and lifestyle it is quite realistic to reduce the chance of injury to a minimum. To do this, we offer you 5 effective ways to protect your joints.

1. Always warm up

An experienced athlete never neglects warm-ups. While novices often underestimate its importance to ligaments and joints. 

You need to warm up before each workout. And no matter how much time you have: you will lose much more if you are injured. Warm-up allows you to warm up the muscles and ligaments. It improves joint mobility and increases blood flow to the organs of the musculoskeletal system.

After warming up, the ligaments become elastic, coordination and muscle strength increase. Therefore, the risk of damage to the joints or any other injuries is reduced by several times.

2. Do not jump above your head

Do not try today to do what many athletes go for many years. Your desires must match the possibilities. And the body's capabilities with regular workouts increase gradually.

The load must be constantly increasing. But if you are not a professional athlete, and you do not need to set Olympic records, it is better not to force events. The quieter you go, the further you'll get. Do not continue training with extreme fatigue. There is no need to lift too much weight to prove something to someone. No need to lift the bar too high. In general, do not try to do something that you cannot, and the likelihood of injury will decrease significantly.

3. Follow the correct technique.

If you are just starting a workout, make sure that each exercise is performed perfectly perfectly. Give your technician enough time and effort. These investments will pay off in the future, as you save yourself from many health problems. 

Very often, injuries are associated with improper exercise technique. While the main load must fall on the muscles, it is often redistributed to the joints, ligaments and bones.

Violating the technique of doing the exercise, you can get the best result. For example, to lift the barbell heavier or more pull up on the bar. But do not engage in self-deception. It is better to take less weight and do the exercises perfectly. This approach helps to strengthen muscles, improve athletic performance, and at the same time protects you from joint damage. If you do not know how to do the exercise correctly, use the services of a coach or watch some videos on YouTube.

4. Fully eat 

In an athlete's body, everything must be necessary so that all the structures of his musculoskeletal system develop as a result of a constant training process. In order for the muscles to grow, and the ligaments to strengthen, a person must receive adequate nutrition. It should be enough protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and trace elements.

There are supplements that, if taken continuously, strengthen the joints and reduce the risk of damage. For this purpose, you can take: 

- glucosamine - 500 mg, 3 times a day; 

- Chondroitin - 400 mg, three times a day (often chondroitin and glucosamine are part of one drug or dietary supplement); 

- hydrolyzed collagen (gelatin) - 5 grams per day; 
multivitamin complexes.

5. If necessary, cancel or stop training.

If you feel tired, muscular weakness, you have a fever or a joint ache, you should not practice this day. It is better today to cancel one workout than to be injured and miss a whole month.

Sometimes a person feels pain in the process of the workout itself. In this case, it should immediately stop. Otherwise, you may aggravate the damage. The training process must be stopped until the pain is completely gone. If it persists, consult a doctor.