Identification of Overexertion Syndrome and Prevention of Common Sports Injuries in Men (Part 1)

Your body can recognize when exercise is harmful, but often it's too late. For example, deep squats can cause knee injuries; sit-ups with your thighs flat on the floor can injure your back; exercises requiring high muscle tension and low movement, such as weightlifting, can raise blood pressure without the heart increasing its pumping capacity accordingly. Even "safe" exercise can cause injury, meaning there is no completely safe sport, and injuries are inevitable for both beginners and professional athletes. The methods for preventing sports injuries are the same for professionals and amateurs alike, mostly simple common sense. The main cause of sports injuries is overexertion syndrome. This is a common mistake made by "weekend athletes," who run 2 miles on Saturday, 3 miles on Sunday, and then increase it to 6 miles the following Saturday. Marathon runners who ignore their doctors' advice and run without breaks are also prone to overexertion syndrome. Athletes, especially men, often ignore pain and continue training, which is a common mistake. Many athletes only feel pain after the race, but by then, the injury is already present. Morning stiffness is another warning sign to slow down. To avoid overtraining syndrome, you should start with interval training. Begin by walking roughly the distance you intend to run, then alternate between walking and running until you can complete the entire distance. Afterward, continue interval training, running at a specific pace on the second or third day, alternating between easy sprints and strenuous long-distance runs. Even experienced athletes should not train hard more than three times a week, nor should they train hard on consecutive days; muscles need 24-48 hours to recover after strenuous training. Some athletes change their exercise format, such as swimming one day and running or cycling the next, because different sports use different muscle groups. You also need to gradually adapt to endurance training based on your age and health condition. In running or cycling fitness, this means: if you are not used to exercising, do not increase the distance by more than 10% per week on flat ground; if exercising on slopes, start by shortening the distance and then gradually increasing it. Following this training method, even older adults can achieve a high level of fitness. If you have stopped exercising for a few days due to a cold or flu, reduce the intensity when you resume exercising to avoid overtraining and injury. Many experienced athletes have suffered injuries after resuming training at their previous level following a break from play. The most common sports injuries include: muscle strains, ligament sprains, tendinitis, lateral tibialis ankylosis (pain along the tibia after strain of the flexor digitorum longus), hamstring tendon strains, heel pain, sprains, shoulder dislocations, compression fractures, concussions, contusions, muscle spasms and pain, abrasions, and lacerations. The three most common injuries are tennis elbow, knee injuries, and Achilles tendinitis. Tennis elbow refers to inflammation and strain of the tendons, ligaments, and soft tissues in the elbow caused by sports. It is mainly caused by using the wrist instead of the forearm when hitting the ball; incorrect grip; and using a racket that is too heavy or has an overly large handle. In addition, golf, baseball, skiing, swimming, bowling, gardening, carpentry, and even shaking hands and washing dishes can all cause tennis elbow. In fact, wrist flexion, rotation, and gripping movements can all compress the elbow, causing inflammation of its tissues. Amateur athletes are particularly prone to tennis elbow because their muscles lack strength, endurance, and flexibility, and they cannot protect their forearms when hitting the ball. Weight training can increase the strength of the upper arm and forearm muscles, which is very helpful in preventing tennis elbow. Good hitting posture can also prevent tennis elbow, especially backhand shots, which mainly involve shoulder muscle movement rather than the forearm, ensuring your elbow and wrist are stable upon impact. The strings on the racket should not be too tight. The best treatment for tennis elbow is rest. Once the pain subsides, do some preventative exercises to increase the strength of the forearm muscles. If the pain does not subside, you should see a doctor. The saying that "once you get tennis elbow, you're stuck with tennis elbow" is mainly aimed at those who don't pay attention to it. Knee injuries. The knee is an important joint in sports. Although it is the strongest joint in the human body, it is also the most frequently injured. Skiers are most prone to knee injuries. In skiing, the taut knee ligaments (the connecting tissue that links the thigh and calf bones) are most easily injured. Strengthening muscles such as the gastrocnemius, hamstrings (back of the thigh), and especially the quadriceps (front of the thigh); stretching these muscles before skiing; checking bandages to ensure they loosen under appropriate pressure; and year-round adaptive training to improve flexibility, endurance, agility, and balance can help prevent skier knee injuries. Another common ailment is runner's knee injury, so named because the weight on the knee during running is more than four times the body weight, compared to half the body weight during walking. Amateur athletes and marathon runners are prone to pain around the knee, which worsens when running uphill or climbing stairs. Achilles tendinitis-the runner's "tennis elbow"-is a scourge for all runners and jumpers, caused by tightness in the gastrocnemius muscle, resulting in damage to the tendon connecting the calcaneus and the gastrocnemius. The best prevention is to gradually stretch the gastrocnemius and Achilles tendon 5-6 times before and after exercise. Proper footwear and socks are beneficial; elastic shoes with a raised heel help control Achilles tendon problems. Excessive exertion is a contributing factor to Achilles tendonitis. Additionally, wearing low-heeled shoes and making sharp turns, or running on uneven surfaces, can also trigger Achilles tendonitis.