Can certain stretches or other exercises lower the odds of an overuse injury?
Many people stretch before and after working out. Stretching helps you to increase range-of-motion and prepare for activity, but according to recent reports in Sports Medicine and the American Journal of Sports Medicine, there’s no clear evidence that it will prevent overuse injuries. To ward off these injuries and help existing injuries heal, exercises that actually strengthen your muscles will be far more effective than those that simply stretch them. Here are some strengthening moves that can help prevent common overuse injuries. Pain around the kneecap. Check with your physician if you routinely have pain around the kneecap. If the front of your knee hurts when you climb stairs and stiffens up during long periods of rest, your kneecap is probably being tugged out of its groove during your workouts. Your doctor may recommend strengthening your inner thigh muscles, which tend to be weak in relation to the outer ones. If your physician approves, try this exercise: Stand with your back
