Warrior's Temple: Part Six - Preventing Injury

Following hot off the coat tails of Jeska’s article - Learning from an Injury, we thought we would investigate and provide you with some of the best ways of preventing injury and remaining pain-free throughout your screen action training.

Whilst the inevitability of training hard is the odd knockback to our bodies, we know how determined many warriors can be to simply ‘push through’, but you have to ask yourself, are you contributing to long-term damage and heading head first into a huge Iceberg of injury woes?

Wear protective gear and ensure you have the right equipment

No matter what action course you are training for, poor equipment or failure to protect your body could result in an injury.

Ensure you are wearing protective equipment such as safety goggles, knee pads, elbow pads and gloves. Ensure you always train with the course recommended weapons and safety wear. You can shop for any of these HERE.

Correct footwear is essential to absorb the impact of the movement of combat and action techniques!  We would recommend seeking advice on supportive footwear to provide adequate support for both your feet and ankles.

Warm up and cool down

Reducing the risk of a muscle or tendon strain, warming-up is a must. Think of your muscles like Blu Tac! If you kept a lump of Blu Tac in your hands and move it about it becomes warm and more stretchy. Your muscles react the same way, the warmer they are, the more loose, pliable and ready to work efficiently they become. 

Why a cool-down? Often overlooked, the last 10 minutes of any workout or training session should be spent cooling down, it will help to flush out the waste by-products in the muscles from your session and safely return your heart rate and blood pressure back to pre-exercise levels.

If you want to avoid post-training soreness then don’t forget your cool down and then to move onto your stretching!! We always do warm ups and cool downs on the Warrior Masterclass and B.L.A.S.T, however, it is your responsibility to make sure the warm up and cool downs are working for you.

If you need a longer time, or moves that are more adapted to you, it's always good to have your own warm up and cool down routine and you can use them on the courses too! 

Stretching

Poor flexibility is one of the most common factors and a primary cause of muscle and tendon strains. If your flexibility is poor it is likely that you suffer from short and tight muscles, which are highly susceptible to damage during your training routines.

The good news is that a regular stretching routine, focusing on main muscle groups that you will utilise during your training will really help you to get through the physicalities of your training demands. Remember to concentrate on legs, glutes, chests, shoulders and back!

There are oodles of information on stretching alone, so watch this space for future Warrior Temples articles on stretching and daily routine that you can follow.

Focus on correct technique and posture

Incorrect technique and poor posture when performing or training in screen action techniques are likely to lead to injury. Not least that it will make your character performances look unrealistic. Ensure you watch your homework videos religiously if you're on a Warrior phase, and remember work on your technique whilst training. 

Remember B.E.D.T.R.A.C.S!!!

Strong core strength is imperative for good posture, head over to HERE for more information.

Progress gradually

Try not to overdo it! Build on your fitness foundations and set goals, when you know your limits you have less chance of sustaining an overuse injury. Vice Versa, a lack of fitness will increase your chance of pulling a muscle, or a heat-related injury such as heat exhaustion. Don’t attempt to do too much when your body is not conditioned for it.

Please check out this article for ideas and tips on training to increase your fitness levels for the Warrior Masterclass HERE. 

If you are just starting out always get a checkup with your GP before commencing any physical exercise.

Don’t train when injured!

Continuing through pain can often prolong your healing time.

Watch out for others and be aware of your environment

This may seem obvious when your opponent is an axe swinging crazed Viking, however, communicate with your opponent during training to ensure that you’re not caught out by a wayward swipe.

Good peripheral vision is a must, know your performance area and be aware of any debris, weapons laying on the ground or obstacles that could cause an injury.

Avoid dehydration and overheating

Dehydration is one of the most common forms of deterioration of performance. It is essential to stay well hydrated and maintain fluid levels within your body. If you become dehydrated you risk overheating due to the fact that you’ll not be able to regulate your body temperature. Further to this, your blood volume will be reduced and you’ll be less efficient to deliver oxygen to the working muscles. 

Before you start your training or during a course check that your urine is clear and not concentrated, remember that alcohol and drinks contain caffeine can lead to dehydration. So hydrate or fail!

If you think that you have picked up an injury or are experiencing any pain throughout your training we would always recommend that you seek medical advice and treatment. Remember that you know your body better than anyone else, listen to what it is telling you, rest when you are tired and always be mindful of previous injuries that you have sustained during your lifetime.

Never rush back to training and always follow the advice of a medical practitioner.

We will see you soon on the Battlefield.

If you have a story to tell and would like to contribute to the Action Reel, please contact the BAA HERE

Photo credits: Raw Pixel, Alora Griffiths, Izzy Gerosa on Unsplash