GO TO PREHAB

Time to injury-proof your body

We’re sure it’ll come as no surprise to learn that spending hours hunched over a desk or lugging a packed gym bag around isn’t the best way to prep for a session of heavy squats or overhead presses, and your usual half-arsed fiveminute warm-up definitely isn’t going to get your body where it needs to be to train effectively or efficiently. Enter prehab. A training routine based around preventing injury, it’s the word on the lips and agendas of the UK’S top trainers, designed to work in tandem with the demanding programmes they’re delivering to eager clients. But it goes way beyond activating your glutes before a lower-body workout (as vital as that is). Prehab is a pre-emptive approach to injury prevention that primes the body for action by activating, mobilising and stabilising key muscles, joints and weak spots. Essentially, you’re injury-proofing yourself. And everyone wants in. London chain Gymbox has added a 30-minute circuitbased prehab class to its roster, which features mobility, muscle activation and movement-pattern training drills tailored to the fitness class that immediately follows, and holistic prehab has been integral to wellness brand Bodyism’s DNA from day dot. ‘Each new fitness client receives our all-encompassing “Body Oracle” assessment, where we use a functional movement screen to evaluate movements that are key to daily life and identify imbalances and compensations,’ explains head of training Matt Bevan. Based on this, they’re assigned personalised movement prep and prehab routines to complete each day. ‘We see it as clients taking responsibility for their long-term health,’ says Bevan. ‘Five or 10 minutes of daily prehab helps counteract problems that may arise from everyday life, like sitting at a desk or carrying children. Imagine your body is a racing car: you need to get the wheels aligned and the engine firing on all cylinders before you race.’

‘Injuries can strike without warning, but the consequences can be lifechanging’

Move, stand or sit in a different way than nature intended and your body will overcompensate for your less-than-stellar alignment, recruiting compensatory muscles to help bear the load. Over time, these patterns become locked in; underused muscles weaken and overused muscles become tighter and vulnerable to injury. As a result, alignment gets worse – and the vicious cycle is reinforced with any activity you do. ‘There may be no warning when injury is imminent, but the consequences can be life-changing,’ warns Rob Foyster, lead physio at Ten Pilates. ‘Muscle and tendon strains are very common,’ he explains. ‘While patients usually return to full function, some injuries are so severe that they have a long-term impact. Spinal injuries sustained through intense exercise may require extensive rehabilitation.’ It’s why prehab is non-negotiable, and to get it right you need a two-pronged approach. Evaluate your warm-up: save static stretches for cool-downs and rest days (studies suggest they do little, if anything, to prevent injury) and instead focus on dynamic movements, which activate the muscles and mobilise the joints you intend to use. Start slow and controlled – think inchworms, frog pumps or single-leg glute bridges. ‘The aim is to balance strength, stability and range of motion throughout the body, matching left and right, front and back, upper and lower,’ says personal trainer and rehab specialist Carli Wheatley. ‘It’s worth getting a trainer or physio to analyse your movements. Tight hips, sleepy glutes and weak core muscles are very common.’ Pain and tension in one area of the body is often the result of an issue in another. Poor core strength, stability and control can increase your risk of anterior cruciate ligament knee injuries, but dynamic injury-prevention programmes that include core strength, stabilisation and balance exercises can slash your chance of injury. Secondly, think holistically. In the field of professional training, prehab goes way beyond the realm of mobilisation and activation. Elite athlete training company Exos uses the term ‘regen’ (or regeneration), which encompasses nutrition, sleep and lifestyle factors alongside prehab gym routines. But if you’re not quite at professional athlete level? ‘For the average joe, prehab-style exercises should be the number one focus,’ says Andy Vincent, elite personal trainer at Third Space London. ‘Although nutrition and sleep are also very important when it comes to injury prevention,’ he adds. However, the very best plans are person-specific. ‘Everyone has different imbalances and there is no one-size-fits-all fix,’ warns Foyster. ‘Moves will depend on the type of exercise you’re about to do,’ he adds. ‘For a heavy weights session, start with joint mobilisation and dynamic stretches (shoulder and hip rotations, scorpion stretches and arm swings), then activate the key muscles and stabilisers you’ll be using before heading into warm-up sets, starting light and gradually increasing the weight. Running? Think single-leg dynamic stability and open-chain lower-limb mobility – leg swings are great.’ ‘My approach is to work from the ground up,’ says Vincent. ‘If you have poor foot mechanics, mobilising the hips or shoulders in isolation will often only give temporary relief, as joints and muscles are connected by fascia (a type of connective tissue) and they all work together in forced couples. Start by mobilising the foot and ankle before working up to the hips, pelvis, spine and shoulder blades. Putting time aside to safeguard your body against future issues is key – it’s self-care.’ It’s also your best chance of swerving a hefty physio bill, of course. Sold.