How A Prehab Exercise Programme From Our Mt Eden Physio Clinic Can Help Reduce The Risk Of Future Injuries

Are you someone who is constantly injuring themselves or suffer from frequent recurrences of an old injury? Niggles like these can be frustrating as they can stop you from getting into the swing of your training or progressing towards a goal you might have.  If this sounds familiar, prehab is something that could help you.

What is prehab?

If you suffer from frequent or recurring injuries, prehab exercises could be the key to helping reduce your risk of injury. Come and see us at our Mt Eden Physiotherapy clinic today.Prehab (or prehabilitation) involves doing specific physiotherapy exercises prior to physical activity to help to reduce the risk of future injury. Rather than treating a body part once it is already injured, prehab puts steps in place to help stop you from getting injured in the first place.

Does it work?

Prehab was originally designed for and used by professional athletes to help reduce common injuries and allow for better performance. Many sporting bodies have shown that athletes undertaking prehab have had significant reductions in injuries, especially muscle strains and lower limb joint injuries. An example of this is FIFA’s specially designed ‘FIFA 11+’ warm up tool which has shown to reduce hamstring, knee, and ankle injuries in football players. Other sporting bodies implement prehab programs to help their athletes have more success by staying on the sporting field instead of the sidelines.

Is it right for me?

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to use prehab. Whether you are a weekend warrior, social sports star, or just enjoy going for a light jog, then prehab will work well for you. You don’t even need to have an existing injury for it to be beneficial – prehab can help reduce the risk of an injury happening in the first place.

But I don’t have the time

We live increasingly busy lives balancing life, work, family and friends so the last thing you want is to spend hours every week doing exercises. Not to worry, a prehab routine can be designed to be quick and simple which will include a handful of important exercises that can be included into your normal warm up.  Just a few minutes spent warming up and targeting specific muscles prior to exercise could help to keep a recurring niggle or injury at bay.

Where do I start?

Coming to see a physiotherapist is a great place to start. Our team at our Mt Eden Physiotherapy clinic will be able to review your previous history of injuries, assess your strengths and areas for improvement and discuss your fitness and sporting goals. From there, we will be able to provide an individualized prehab program for you, assist with any questions or concerns you may have and provide ongoing support.