Warming up is the key to staying injury free Published Oct. 31, 2008 GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- More than 25 million days of limited duty across the uniformed services each year can be directly linked to musculoskeletal injuries. Injuries such as ankle sprains, back pain, and tendon injuries are the greatest health threat to military readiness, according to the Uniformed Services University Consortium for Health and Military Performance. Most injuries are preventable and can be avoided by employing a few simple injury prevention strategies. The number one element that can keep you injury free is a proper warm-up. While stretching is not for everyone, warming up is! Stretching prior to exercise has little to no effect on injury rate or muscle soreness. Proper warm-ups are associated with improved performance, less muscular soreness and a decreased risk of injury. Stretching does the most benefit to the body during the cool-down phase; it increases muscle range of motion and flexibility and is essential for optimizing musculoskeletal health and minimizing chronic injuries and pain. Skipping this step is just as bad as not doing a proper warm up. Finally, use the proper equipment for the activity being performed. Basketball shoes are designed to provide ankle support for the lateral movements demanded during the game. Running shoes provide great shock absorption and cushioning for running, but provide no lateral stability. Soccer shoes provide a sturdier toe box to prevent injuries to the toes and forefoot during contact with the ball. It makes sense that equipment is designed around the intended use ... you should follow that advice to get the most out of the activity with the least amount of stress to the body. Also, braces are a proven method to prevent and help recovery of sports and recreation injuries. If you are prone to ankle sprains, semi-rigid bracing can prevent recurrent sprains up to 18 months after initial injury. Featured below is an excellent warm-up program that will leave you warmed up and ready to go! This warm-up was developed by our very own Lt. Col Daniel Kulund, 319th Medical Group. Follow this five minute warm-up prior to every exercise session to reduce your risk of injury and keep you in the game. Do not hurry the warm-up. Begin with 12 to15 slow repetitions of each exercise. Blood will flow to the working muscles to warm-up your body and the motions will lubricate your joints. Standing Shoulder rolls As you approach the exercise area, roll your shoulders forward and then backward Forward Rows Push your arms forward but don't lock your elbows out straight Arms up Push your arms overhead without locking your elbows. Standing fly With your elbows held high, bring them back to a plane even with your chest. Side bender Imagine that you are standing between panes of glass with your hands on your head and your knees slightly bent. Now tilt to alternate sides. An alternative is bending with your hands on your hips. For a further stretch, reach toward your ankle with one hand while pulling the other hand up your side. Trunk twister Keep your pelvis steady, knees slightly bent, and twist your upper body around side-to-side. Don't look over your shoulder or spin your hips. Half-jacks Step to one side while bringing your arms overhead to touch your palms together. Then return to the starting position and repeat in the other direction. Knee lifter Raise your knees high. If you could choose only one exercise for warming up, this would be the one. It calls on big muscles and produces a sweat within two minutes. Elbow to opposite knee Bring your elbow to the raised opposite knee. Recover to a fully-upright position. Alternate sides. Squatting Knee bender With your hands "glued" to your kneecaps, bring your chest to your thighs while dropping your hips back and down to where your hips are just higher than your knees. . Keep your knees over your feet and don't allow your hips to scoop forward. Keep weight on your heels. Now stand up as high as your hands allow. Repeat. Hip drops Grab your ankles and bring your chest to your thighs while dropping your hips as if you are sitting down onto a stool, bringing your chest to your thighs. Stand up as far as your hands allow. This pistoning motion loosens up your lower back and the outer side of your thighs. Side lunge Bring your chest to one thigh while bending your knee and keeping your knee above your foot. Body Support Ankle movement With your head down and elbows slightly bent, place one heel down to stretch your calf; repeat with the other foot. Then alternately raise and lower your heels. These ankle movements prepare your ankles for running. Mountain climb (walking) With your head down and elbows slightly bent, bring one knee forward toward your chest. Alternate and repeat. Do not raise your head, as that would hyperextend your back. Knee touch From a forward leaning position with your heels on the ground, drop your knees toward the ground and recover. If you can't touch your heels down, move your feet forward. Your legs can be apart or together. Bent-knee push-ups With your hands under your shoulders, lower yourself until your elbows are bent to 90 degrees or until your lower thighs touch the ground. Toe Lifts Sit with your heels near your buttocks. Pull your toes deliberatively. This exercise prevents the most common form of shin splints. Be sure to follow your exercise session with five to 10 minutes of total body stretching to improve your overall flexibility, and further decrease your injury risk.