How do we prevent injuries in gymnastics? We get asked this question all the time. The honest answer is we CAN’T prevent injuries.
Scrapes and bruises are normal and accidents happen all the time but what we can do is implement our best practices to keep injuries less likely to happen. One way to achieve this is to really focus on our mobility over our flexibility.
In general, gymnasts are extremely flexible, right? First, they learn to perfect a skill and then work on making their bodies look graceful and effortless while performing it. You see them use both their arms and legs and they do a lot of different things showing off their flexibility but what they lack is mobility or the ability to move freely and easily. This means training through the full range of motion improves performance and reduces the risk of injury.
Mental Training and Knowing Your Limitations

Being a gymnast means you have to have mental training, awareness of your body, and knowing your limits. It is important to prepare for daily practices and unique routines by doing warm-ups and cool-downs. Warm-ups such as walking, jogging, running, and static and dynamic stretching help loosen muscles and increase flexibility. Resistance or strength training helps gymnasts advance to another skill level. Also having a strong core makes them less vulnerable to injuries, keeping the body aligned and minimizing strain on the muscles and joints. Having a variation of exercises, routines and training is vital to reduce the stress that affects a particular musculoskeletal region that is being overused.
If you have any questions about injury prevention and strength training in gymnastics, check out our site www.thesportspod.co
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