Cross-training to Prevent Injuries One of the saddest things that can happen to a professional athlete is that they experience a seasonending knee injury. It’s heart wrenching for fans, and yet they see it all the time.
Athletes and Injuries A shortstop will go down after an amazing, low catch. On his way to the ball, he takes just one wrong step and his season comes crashing to the ground in the same breath as he cries out for help. An all-star receiver goes up for a catch and lands in just the wrong way, tweaking his joint to the side. He writhes on the ground in pain until the team doctors can get to him. The crowd goes silent as they hope to see him walk it off. If their worst fears are confirmed, then not only could he be out for the game, but he could be out for any number of seasons to come. Every athlete fears a serious injury. They may not think about it every time they step onto the field or into the ring, but in the back of their minds, they are always aware of the consequences of one is. The best thing for them to do in these cases is build exercises into their routine that help them to avoid injuries. Each athlete knows how much strain to expect at the professional level. Their trainers build into their workouts certain exercises that will prevent athletes from having to see the much feared knee replacement doctor. Here’s an inside look into what they do to stave off injury.
Cross Training Benefits Athletes exercise all muscles around the joint. They understand that your body needs balance. A sprinter will never be safe if they only sprint in a straight line every day. That only works out a specific set of muscles in the legs. When there is an imbalance, the weak muscles cannot be relied upon to stabilize the joint under extreme pressure. To provide this balance, she focuses just as much attention on building the other muscles in the area at the same rate as she builds her sprinting ones. She can do this by cross-training or by lifting weights. Cross-training examples include hiking regularly, mountain climbing, biking or swimming.
Often times they will simply work out in the gym doing things like squats and leg lifts with weights. This can save on time and energy, while keeping them safe from the dangers of falling down a mountain or crashing on the side of the road. When athletes cross-train, they perform. When athletes perform, they continue doing what they love without much fear of injury. Although the possibility still exists that they could twist something the wrong way and find themselves in front of a knee replacement doctor, they step onto the battlefield as confident as can be. They have done all they can to protect themselves. Those hoping to do similarly should get into a cross-training program as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the sooner you will need an appointment with a knee replacement doctor to fix an injury.