One of the most common ways to develop an annoying injury is…

To abruptly change your training.

This can include:

• Increasing training volume (amount of time per week)

• Increasing training intensity

• Changing the kind of surface you do the majority of your training on (for example, from running on soccer turf to concrete)

• Changing your footwear (for example, from cushioned to minimalist shoes or from neutral shoes to stability shoes to correct pronation/supination)

Some of the most common times we see these abrupt changes are:

• When coming back from injury if you’ve spent months away from your sport

• Starting up your second sport, especially one that has more impact on a different surface (like concrete or a wooden gym floor)

• Weekend tournaments where you are playing more games than you’re used to (often with less rest and worse nutrition especially if you are traveling for the tournament)

What can you do to avoid these injuries?

1. The first step is awareness: pay attention to changes in these aspects of training.

2. Do your best to implement changes gradually. For example, in the first week after getting new shoes, wear them for 30 min to 1 hour of each training then switch back to your old shoes for the rest of training. Gradually increase that time wearing your new shoes over the next few weeks.

3. Support your body with good nutrition (be sure you are eating enough calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fats) and sleep (quality and quantity)

4. See a PT for guidance ASAP to identify contributing factors before the issue becomes a more serious problem (which will take longer to heal).