In my last blog post, I referred to my maintenance and injury prevention strategy. I wanted to tell you more about that.
As an athlete, getting injured is my worst nightmare. My sport isn’t just a passion — it’s my purpose and a huge part of my identity. Staying injury-free can be tough when I’m pushing my body to its limits every week. Our bodies are excellent at signalling when they’ve had enough, but athletes often ignore these warnings, pushing past discomfort to maximise performance.
Injuries are, unfortunately, common in most athletic careers (including kayaking). Often, they stem from poor injury prevention strategies. The truth is, the most effective injury prevention practices can feel boring and unmotivating — a bit like those dull back exercises designed to prevent pain. But the motivation lies in staying pain-free and avoiding time away from what we love.
My maintenance and injury prevention strategy focuses on two key elements: load management and strength and conditioning.
Load Management
Load management is all about monitoring how much I’m doing — daily, weekly, and monthly. Sudden spikes in activity can increase injury risk. For example, if I train for five hours a week for three consecutive weeks and then jump to nine hours the next week, my injury risk skyrockets.
To stay on top of this, I track both the duration and intensity of my sessions using heart rate and RPE (rate of perceived exertion). I log these in a training diary and review them weekly. A monthly planner helps me schedule adequate recovery time. Having someone with a more objective view, like a coach or trainer, also helps ensure my plan is realistic and considers all types of load — physical, social, and emotional.
Strength and conditioning for me includes gym-based strength work and cross-training like running and rock climbing. The goal? To make sure my body is stronger and fitter than what my sport demands, so I’m always prepared for the physical challenges on the water.
The balance between strength work and on-water training shifts with my goals. Leading into a competition, I reduce strength and conditioning to prioritise recovery and peak performance. In the off-season, I increase my strength work, even if it means some fatigue during on-water sessions, to build long-term resilience.
The balance between strength work and on-water training shifts with my goals.
Injury prevention is all about balance — doing enough without overdoing it. It’s not always perfect, but by combining structured load management, strength work, and actively listening to my body, I reduce my injury risk significantly. Having a physio, coach, or trainer who understands my training history helps keep me accountable and realistic.
Whether you’re an athlete or just staying active, planning, reviewing, and monitoring your exercise routine is one of the best ways to stay injury-free. Talk to your physio today about managing your exercise load before injury slows you down!
I am an athlete AND physiotherapist. I work from the Penrith clinic of The Healthy Body Company. I am more than happy to see anyone looking to manage their training load better—either with a face-to-face consult or via telehealth.
