How Resistance Training Prevents Injury
- An important aspect of resistance training is the ability to target certain muscle groups. Because injuries are commonly repeated in the same areas of the body, resistance training can strengthen these muscles when targeted correctly and prevent repeat injuries.
- An important aspect that resistance training can improve that may be taking for granted in other exercise types is strengthening of tendons and ligaments. These kinds of strength trainings help prevent injuries when certain muscles and tendons are being worked or put under pressure.
- Because resistance training is working against pressure, the muscle groups being used are able to withstand higher pressure causing less injuries.
- The kind of exercises that had the most significant decrease in risk of injuries through athletes were strength/resistance training as well as aerobic exercises.
Injuries Effects on Mental Health
- Mental Health has a strong correlation with the amount of physical exercise done by an individual. Small amounts of exercise (2-4 hours a week) has shown to improve mental health as well as motivation in individuals. Injuries not allowing physical exercise has shown to have opposite effects including lack of motivation and stress
- It is important to note that physical exercise has more positive affects on those with mild/acute mental health disorders. Studies have shown higher improvement of mental health in those with symptoms pointing to acute anxiety or depressive disorders which are more commonly found after injury rather than chronic anxiety or depression.
- Injuries that lead to immobilization or decrease available range of motions had the most prominent effect on mental health and lead to symptoms similar to those of depression
- Higher volume and intensity of strength training has shown to decrease the risk of injury, leading to positive effects on mental health over long time periods.
Targeting Certain Muscle Group Through Resistance Training
A study was conducted by Human Kinetics on female soccer players to see how targeting certain areas of the body used most frequently in their sport, muscles of the anterior of posterior of the leg, would be affected by attributes of resistance training,
Results:
- A decrease of 51% of long term hamstrings injuries.
- A minimum of 2 sessions of resistance training a week was found to be the most productive.
- There is a relationship between the ranges of motion and the type of exercises being conducted, using both bilateral (both sides) as well as unilateral (isolating one side of the body) had a strong correlation in reducing common injuries due to the wide ranges of motion normally performed in soccer. Correlating your exercises to the ranges of motions commonly conducted in your life can increase benefits from resistance training.
- Resistance training had the most significant effect on injuries normally caused by noncontact rather than injuries caused by contact with another player.
Refrences
- Beato, M., Maroto-Izquierdo, S., Turner, A. N., & Bishop, C. (2021). Implementing Strength Training Strategies for Injury Prevention in Soccer: Scientific Rationale and Methodological Recommendations. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 16(3), 456–461. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2020-0862
- Lauersen, J. B., Andersen, T. E., & Andersen, L. B. (2018). Strength training as superior, dose-dependent and safe prevention of acute and overuse sports injuries: a systematic review, qualitative analysis and meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine, 52(24), 1557–1563. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099078