Injury Prevention
Archive
You train to race outside. We get it. But to go your fastest—and stay your healthiest—you might just need to enter the gym.
GPS locator SPOT launched in 2007—and has already notched 3,000 rescues
You fall, hit your head, and suffer a concussion. How long will it take to recover? It depends.
The only fix to tight hips is a good lunge and twist
If you’re looking for an excuse to hit the massage table more frequently (or to justify the expense if you’re already doing it), you’re in luck. A recent study from the University of Illinois at Chicago backs up what we’ve long suspected: Massage therapy…
When children end up in harm's way because of their parents, do positive intentions matter?
Running and triathlon coach Brett Stewart gets this one from clients a lot: Between races that sell out months in advance and things that get in the way of training—like injuries, travel, and plain old busy schedules—it’s not uncommon for athletes to show up on race day…
More is always better, right? Well, maybe not. Ultradistance runners have been warned that their mileage isn’t exactly healthy. But they aren’t the only ones who should be thinking about the long-term ramifications of their training.
An Ohio CrossFit affiliate says an academic study got stats about injury rates in the popular workout program wrong. And it’s suing the researchers behind the data. Should science be scared?
More people die from opioid overdoses than car crashes, and Zohydro is one of the strongest yet to hit the market.
Training and nutrition has been an exciting (if unreliable) frontier for decades. But recent discoveries, combined with field-tested science, have debunked popular myths and established some ground rules for the outdoor athlete. Here's your performance 12-step program.
A sharp pain in the heel and arch of the foot, plantar fasciitis has numerous causes and treatments
Don't let a bad fall keep you down. Pro freeskier Crystal Wright shares hard-earned tips on preventing and recovering from tough breaks.
Can you sense the weather in your joints? Here's why that happens.
Time to chuck the ab-blaster and sell the ellipti-trainer. All you need for your ultimate home fitness center are these key essentials.
After a recent ultramarathon, I wanted to test a new approach to healing my mind and body.
Vibram's minimalist Five Finger shook up the world of running five years ago, and now Hoka is pushing back with its own maximalist shoes. But how much does your choice in running shoe really matter?
Transceivers work well, but are costly. Apps may offer a cheaper alternative.
The rewards of risk are fueling a catastrophic increase in TBIs. How can we protect ourselves?
What should I do about pain on the inside of the knee? I can walk and jog, but with constant pain. I just want to run!
Sometimes, what's common knowledge doesn't need scientific validation. Listen to the advice of these two legendary athletes and remember that even the strongest of us need a little rest and relaxation.
Is running on hard surfaces really bad for your knees?
Need to manage your cholesterol while you exercise? Think twice before taking statins.
How to take care of your body as an aging athlete
Getting older doesn’t have to mean getting slower. Not with a leg up from the frontiers of science.
Is your regular workout really working? We looked at some of the most popular in-the-gym moves, and found more effective ways to get you conditioned for real life.
A few simple exercises can cure plantar fasciitis
Mike Donoghue, the founder of Amphibious Medics, a private medical-staffing contractor for the nation’s largest events, including Tough Mudder and Spartan Race, offers his insider tips
Obstacle-course racing is the nation’s fastest-growing sport, with millions of annual participants. It’s time to join the party with our handy guide to all things obstacle racing.
Already an Everest record-holder, the 29-year-old climbing great shares what it takes to reach the top
Runners are stubborn. It’s what gets them out the door every day, logging miles, and chasing goals. It's also why they make the same mistakes over and over again. Don’t be that guy.
First, ditch the salt tablets. “The biggest misconception is that exercise-associated muscle cramping is due to dehydration or electrolyte imbalances,” says Martin Schwellnus, a professor of exercise science at the University of Cape Town, in South Africa, and one of the world’s leading researchers on the subject.
You love to run. You hate to get hurt. Even if injuries are inevitable, there’s plenty you can do about them. Here’s your guide to fixing the most frequent problems.
I got doored by an oblivious driver. Thankfully I just bruised my leg, but it busted my bike pretty badly. Anyways, I’m about to receive some cash from the driver’s insurance company that’ll cover the x-ray bills and then some. Do I have to pay taxes on it?
Should I take ibuprofen before or after hard training to limit pain?
Christopher McDougall started it, throwing a brick at long-held theories about striding styles and shoe designs in Born to Run—and inspiring believers to wear minimalist shoes or no shoes at all. What followed was a war, pitting lightfoots against traditionalists and filling shoe stores with a mind-numbing array of choices. Who’s right? Andrew Tilin jogs
Huston just left the country for his expedition to Ellesmere Island
Can you suggest some survival tips for those who unexpectedly find themselves in an emergency situation during the winter months?
And four options for a piece of gear that could save your life
A basic 10-question checklist to make sure that you're focusing on the right things when you head out into the backcountry
I like to listen to music when I'm out skiing or snowboarding. Does that put me at greater risk of injury?
I know many resorts scale back their operations when the wind picks up, but is it really possible to get blown off of a mountain?
I want to support my local charity by participating in their marquee event this winter, but fear that diving into ice-cold water could be dangerous. What do the experts say?
As an athlete, is my skin more susceptible to damage during the winter? What can I do to protect it?
Frigid temperatures, biting wind, blowing snow—if you’re well outfitted, it doesn’t really matter.
Deal with hurt pets like you would deal with a human emergency: use common sense. And if you’re heading into the woods for a day or longer, bring a first aid kit that will work for man and beast alike.
Tens of thousands of people are hurt while riding their bikes every year in the United States alone. Follow these 10 basic guidelines to make sure you avoid injury and stay safe.
When’s the best time to use a foam roller, before or after a workout?
Increasingly, race organizers are testing non-elite athletes for performance-enhancing drugs. But is it fair, or even possible, to hold amateurs to the same stringent standards as the pros?
A new study says that Ibuprofen can help prevent mountain climbers from getting altitude sickness
This is shaping up to be one of the deadliest seasons on record, with 10 deaths so far and too many helicopter evacuations to count. Here’s a sneak peak at the doctors on the front lines of the world's highest clinic.
As Mark Jenkins knows, wilderness first aid can hurt. (Just ask his patients.) So he finally did what everyone should do: he took a class from real experts.
A recent New York Times Magazine story titled "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body" caused a stir last week, claiming that certain aspects of yoga were too risky for the general population. So should you avoid the fitness routine if you're not a serious athlete?
New workouts, a marathon birth, and revolutionary new studies: Here are the headlines that defined health and fitness news in 2011
Does stretching prior to a run prevent injuries and improve performance? Does guzzling water prevent cramps? Here's the truth about the top 10 fitness myths.
The best sites for health advice and commentary, so you can get online and go outside
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Moving Comfort Rebound Racer Bra.
How professional skier and Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety recovered from a debilitating knee injury.
Injuries are a fact of life. Here's how to recover faster.
Six exercises to help you strengthen your body's weakest links
After competing in more than two dozen adventure races, Stephen Regenold breaks down his go-to outdoor gear
My lower back kills me after long bike rides. How can I fix this?
Even though you’re pumping your legs and working hard, you’re in a seated position, which is why many seasoned cyclists look like office workers who spend too much time slumped over at a desk. This riding position causes the muscles on the front of your hips to become tight. Here…
Sometimes I get blisters on my feet. What can I do to treat them so I don’t have to stop running?
Created in 2007 by Christopher Harrison, AntiGravity Yoga takes place a few feet above the ground inside a silk hammock.
An exclusive look inside the cutting-edge Army lab that's pinching, prodding, dunking, bruising, and building the soldiers of tomorrow—and revolutionizing adventure fitness along the way.
Decades after the Soviet-era meltdown drove 60,000 people from their homes in the Ukraine, a rebirth is taking place inside the exclusion zone. With Geiger counter in hand, the author explores Europe's strangest wildlife refuge, an enchanted post-apocalyptic forest from which entirely new species may soon emerge.
Your urgent inquiries about the world. Answered.
Building mountain-ready knees is all about listening to what they're trying to tell you.
You survive a plane crash in the Amazon? Who cares! What's far more likely to go wrong during an international journey is injuries and illnesses that would be easy to manage close to home but are much trickier on the far side of paradise. Here are seven frequent scenarios and how to handle them.