Trainers, coaches and managers invest in injury prevention so that athletes can perform at their best and reach the peak of their careers. Keeping athletes safe and injury-free is dependent on many factors, from core strength and balance to adequate warmup and cooldown routines. Low-impact strength training and the right training surface material are also essential elements of injury prevention, each providing benefits throughout an athlete's career.
Low-impact exercise is essential for several reasons, including injury prevention and recovery. An exercise is low impact if it does not put excess strain on the body and includes things like walking and weight training. It has the same benefits for athletes as high-impact exercise when tailored for the athlete's goals and abilities.
Depending on the sport and individual athlete, low-impact training can be invaluable as part of a complete training program. For example, strength athletes could benefit from low-impact cardio training, which improves cardiovascular capacity without placing unnecessary strain on the joints. In short, low-impact workouts lead to high-impact performance. Introducing variety into athlete training improves strength and flexibility and changes the stress on the body, creating well-rounded performers in many sports.
Additionally, injured athletes and those attempting to avoid injury in the buildup to competition must modify exercise impact and intensity. Over 70% of musculoskeletal injuries are due to overuse, and low-impact workouts enable athletes to continue their training and remain in peak condition while reducing the risk of injury.
Every athlete strives to prevent injury in training and competition and providing them with high-quality training surfaces can significantly reduce injuries. For example, stress fractures occur due to repeated mechanical stress and make up 20% of all sports injuries. Activities like low-impact weight training can build strength while reducing the risk of these injuries, and a reliable training surface further reduces the risk of injury. Although many factors can contribute to injuries, from footwear to distance covered and number of repetitions, low-quality training surfaces can pose considerable risks to athletes, including putting stress on joints and leading to musculoskeletal pain.
Various schools of thought exist on the right training surface for athletes. Some coaches believe they should train on varied surfaces to improve strength, balance and flexibility. Others train athletes conservatively, focusing on surfaces close to what they'll experience in competition. Some of the many benefits of training on appropriate and high-quality surfaces include:
Different sports require varied training programs to prepare athletes for the rigors of competition. Choosing the right training surface for the weather, level of training and activities requires careful consideration. Some of the principal factors to consider include:
1. Purpose
The purpose of your training surface is the most crucial consideration when choosing a surface material. Athletes spend more time in training than in competition. They must be able to approach their competition preparation with a varied and detailed program. Consider what your athletes will do on your training surface and how often. Will their needs change seasonally?
If your training surface should simulate what athletes experience in competition, consider whether it's suited to an indoor or outdoor environment. Ideally, your surface should support high- and low-impact activities to give athletes a well-rounded preparation experience.
2. Safety and Comfort
Athletes face the danger of injury from falls, bad landings and poor shock absorption. While they take the utmost care to avoid these incidents and the associated recovery times, high-quality sports flooring can lower the risk of injury, giving athletes the confidence to train hard in safe and comfortable surroundings. Some critical factors to boost training surface safety and comfort include:
3. Weather and the Elements
An outdoor training surface should be durable and withstand the elements. Your local climate could affect your final decision, especially if rainfall, water supply and other weather factors are typical in your region.
The average temperature of your environment is a critical consideration for indoor and outdoor training surfaces. While many synthetic surfaces are hotter than a natural training surface, their composition can affect the temperature. Choosing the right one can make the training environment more temperate for the athletes.
4. Wear and Tear
Your durability requirements depend on the type of training and frequency of use. Consider how much impact the surface should sustain without losing its ability to provide cushioning. If you have large teams of athletes who train frequently on your training surface, it should withstand the traffic without wearing out too quickly.
5. Maintenance and Training
Any surface you choose will require a level of maintenance and staff who are trained to make repairs when needed. The long-term management of your surface is an essential factor in your decision. Ask your provider about maintenance requirements, the cost of tools, and the number of staff you'll need to keep your training surface performing optimally.
6. Budget
Many sports trainers and managers are subject to stringent budgetary requirements. Consider a surface that fits your budget while providing athletes with a safe and comfortable training experience. When considering the cost of a new training surface, ensure you factor in cleaning staff, repair, and maintenance expenses.
Most athletes must combine low-impact exercises with other forms of training to push boundaries and stay competition-ready. MONDO has redefined sports standards for over 75 years, creating training surfaces that assist athletes in their movement. We aim to balance athlete comfort and safety with maximum performance, whether in training or competition.
At MONDO, we work directly with athletes from the beginning of the process, engineering high-performance products shaped to their training needs. Collaborating with athletes at international sports federations gives us data on what athletes need to move better and stay safe in training.
Our commitment to safety and comfort makes our training surfaces the preferred option for many sports rehabilitation and physiotherapy centers, and our versatile surfacing options are suitable for any training environment or objective.
We design each of our sports surfaces to withstand the rigors of unique training styles, using innovative technology to protect athletes and help them achieve their goals. Our technology arranges layers of varying composition and elasticity, allowing the surface to respond to your training requirements. Each surface will meet your athletes where they are, providing the following:
Every MONDO surface is purpose-built to reduce impact and promote joint health in athletes. Our sports impact flooring is constructed of double-layered vulcanized rubber with an extra thick surface later to resist wear from low-impact weight training as well as the most intense activities. It resists traction, and the embossed, nonporous surface ensures stability, making it the ideal multipurpose option for training, recovery and rehabilitation.
At MONDO, the proof is in the athlete's performance. We've consistently been the preferred choice of the organizing committees for the Olympic Games for 12 years. We're continuing that tradition at the next Olympic Games, providing the athletic track and equipment for all athletics events.
MONDO forms a launchpad for records and extraordinary performance at the top echelons of sports, from the 2023 Asian Games to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. In addition to facilitating top athletic performances around the globe, MONDO has achieved ISO 50001 Certification, demonstrating our commitment to sustainability and the optimal management of our energy use.
With help from MONDO flooring, you can implement low-impact training into your athletes' existing routines. This type of training has many benefits for athletes, from improving joint health to speeding up recovery. The following tips and tricks can help you elevate your athletes' pre-competition programs:
Flooring is critical equipment you can buy for your athletes. If you want them to have the advantages of our innovative technology, you can install our flooring in your existing facility or move your training to a new facility with the surface you need. Sports flooring is a highly specialized surface, and consulting with an expert is the most effective way to find the right surface for your athletes.
Find a MONDO dealer near you to walk you through the process. They can direct you to facilities nearby with a suitable surface for your application.