#FAQF... "What can I do for injury prevention?"

#FAQF…”What can I do for injury prevention?… So this week I got the opportunity to speak on this topic @spaldingball’s basketball IQ camp hosted by @demar_derozen which was incredible and wanted to share some of the info with you all. I want to start by saying that using the term injury prevention is false advertising.  We can REDUCE injuries, but there is no way to completely prevent injuries. Ok, now on to the good stuff.

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I am a jock. Plain and simple. Sports run through my veins. But \not everyone out there is but this information is still relevant to you so don’t stop reading! Whether you are a young superstar, a yogi, a runner, cross fitter, this information applies to you. The key is versatility. I will repeat. Versatility. 

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Yesterday I asked what MJ, Kobe, and LeBron all have in common, and it is that they all played multiple sports.  Versatility.  In fact, 222 of 253 NFL draft picks this year were multisport athletes.

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Why is this relevant? By focusing on one sport or one activity your body is only getting the input from that specific sport. To be healthy, we need multiple forms of input.  Each activity has different movement patterns, different sensory and visual input, differing aerobic vs anaerobic requirements so by participating in multiple activities you are training your body to handle more. You will be less likely to have overuse injuries. Less likely to burn out. And you will be better as an all around athlete.

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We are a competitive society so we tend to over do things. So I encourage you to not just do yoga. Don’t just play basketball. Don’t just run.  It will help save your body. 

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Allow yourself time to recover.  Recovery is essential. Hydrate.  Your muscles need fluid to work at their peak.  Sleep. Your reaction time needs rest to work at its peak. 

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And finally. Focus on the basics. Jason Wells said it best on Tuesday… “fundamentals before fancy”.

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Reach out if you have questions or want more specifics!

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Work hard. Work versatile. Work smart.