Training Injuries
 

Posted Friday, October 7, 2005

Blisters. Seek medical help if the blister is red or painful.
Corns and Calluses. To prevent corns and calluses, use moleskin padding. DO NOT treat these with medicated pads.

Arch Pain. To ease arch pain, use an ice pack. As a preventive measure, apply liniment before exercise and use arch supports.

Sprains. Apply an ice pack to the ankle for 15 to 20 minutes; repeat after 1 hour. Seek medical help if swelling or discoloration develops. To strengthen the ankle, exercise it with toe-to-heel walking, one-legged activities, and resistance exercises using boots, helmets, or socks with stones as weights.

Achilles Tendinitis and Shin Splints. Use an ice pack after exercise. As a preventive measure, improve tendon flexibility with curb and wall stretches.

Knee Pain. To avoid knee pain, do straight leg lifts. Improve flexibility by pulling the heel to the opposite buttock.

Hamstring Pulls. Use an ice pack after exercise. Improve flexibility-

• By sitting with one leg straight and the other bent with the sole of the foot against the knee of the outstretched leg, reach for the outstretched foot.
• By standing near a wall and leaning into it with legs crossed at ankles.

Lower Back Pain. To prevent low back pain, improve flexibility. Bend forward and backward. Tilt your pelvis. While lying on the floor, bring your knees up to your chest, hold them with your hands, tuck your chin in, and lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor. Strengthen your abdominals by doing curl-ups (partial sit-ups). Improve your posture by lifting with your legs, NOT your back, and by squatting and rising with a straight back.