Hand Doctors Advocate Strength Training to Prevent Injury
Strength training is an important part of sports conditioning, for its positive effects on speed, strength, agility and muscle mass. But strength training does much more than build muscles – it also helps reduce or prevent sports injuries!
In this article Bloomfield Hills hand doctor Dr. Rehman discusses some of the benefits of strength conditioning to help prevent injury.
What is Strength Training?
Strength training is controlled movement of the joints in motion-against-resistance activities, which require the muscles to expend energy and contract forcefully to move the bones.
Strength training can be done using virtually any type of resistance that the muscles must exert against. It can be done with or without equipment or simply using the body’s own weight to create resistance (as in Yoga).
As well as increasing muscle mass, strength training also “builds up” the tendons, bones and ligaments.
Types of Strength Training
Machine strength training includes various types of muscle resistance using a wide variety of equipment, including: weight stacks, hydraulics, resistance rods or bands, and Thera-Bands or resistance tubing.
Free weight strength training involves using weights whose motion is not fixed by a machine. This can include: barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, and ankle and wrist weights.
However you don’t even need any weights to do strength training! Bodyweight exercises use the individuals own weight as resistance during the exercise. This includes activities such as: plyometrics, push-ups & pull-ups, abdominal exercises, yoga, Pilates, sprinting and even jumping rope.
How Strength Training Prevents Injury
To begin with, strength training builds stronger muscles and tendons. This in turn helps to hold the body in proper alignment, which protects the bones and joints when moving or when under impact.
The bones themselves also become stronger due to the weight “overload” that is put on them during training. And, obviously, stronger bones means less risk of a fracture or break.
Additionally, strength training causes the ligaments to become more flexible – and this makes them better at absorbing any shock, impact or trauma whether from sports or daily living.
Who Can Benefit from Strength Training?
Obviously professional athletes can improve performance and agility with strength training. But virtually everybody should introduce at least some strength training into their life.
In children and teens, age appropriate strength training – such as calisthenics (e.g. push up ups, sit ups) or jumping rope – helps build strong bones and muscles for proper growth. And, equally important, it helps prevent injuries and broken bones during sports or play.
For adults, even mild, regular strength training can help ensure bone health well into older age. As an added benefit strength training also “converts” muscle into fat. Not only does this create a leaner more attractive body, lowering body fat can stave off serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart
Further, and especially important for seniors, regular strength training helps prevent falls, broken bones and other injuries.
Top Bloomfield Hills Hand Doctor
If you are suffering from any injury or pain in your knuckles, fingers, wrist, elbow or arm, contact board certified Bloomfield Hills hand surgeon Doctor Rehman for a comprehensive evaluation and consultation. As with most medical conditions, early detection, awareness, and a prevention or treatment plan is the most effective way to combat the effects of any injury.
Doctor Rehman will assess your individual situation with care, and draw on her years of experience to prescribe the treatment that is best for your condition.
