Melanie Radzicki McManus wrote this article in CNN:
Soft tissue injuries are the bane of any physically active person. They are the most common injuries in sport, can be difficult to heal and often reoccur, according to Sports Medicine Australia. Knowing how to help prevent them is key to staying healthy and active.
Your soft tissues support, connect and surround your bones and internal organs, and include muscles, tendons, ligaments, fat, skin and blood vessels. The most common soft tissue injuries occur in the muscles, tendons and ligaments. Think injuries such as hamstring strains, tennis elbow or ankle sprains. These afflictions often happen while exercising or playing sports, although sometimes they occur from unknown incidents.
Soft tissue injuries are generally traumatic or repetitive. That is, they can occur suddenly -- rolling your ankle when you step off a curb, for example -- or from overuse. While traumatic injuries are the most dramatic, repetitive injuries are more common, said Mike Matthews, a personal trainer in Ocala, Florida, and host of "Muscle for Life," a popular fitness podcast.
"Repetitive soft tissue injuries occur when a tissue undergoes more damage than it can heal from over a period of time," Matthews said. "The ultimate cause of all repetitive soft tissue injuries is simply doing too much, too soon."
To prevent a repetitive injury then, you need to take a measured approach to exercise and sports. Nix the weekend warrior approach in which you're inactive all week, then run 15 miles (24 kilometers) on the weekend.
"Moderation is key," said orthopedic physical therapist Scott Cheatham, a professor of kinesiology at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
It's also important to acclimate your body slowly to a given activity. "The only proven way to reduce your risk of repetitive soft tissue injury is to gradually increase your workout volume and intensity over time," Matthews said.
A good rule of thumb: Don't increase your workout volume more than 10% per week. And every four to eight weeks, give your body a rest by significantly reducing the volume and intensity of your workouts. "This 'three steps forward, one step back' approach requires discipline and isn't always fun," Matthews said, "but it's the best way to make your body more resilient and durable."
Cross-training is another good idea, which the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons endorses. Since your body's soft tissues are working in different ways or even resting when you bike versus swim or play tennis, it's an easy preventive measure.
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