I don’t know if you realize this, but professional athletes are good at what they do. Let’s not forget, they not only play their sport better than most if not all, but they learn how to handle themselves in situations outside of sports. This includes things like answering reporter’s questions or having their photo taken on and off the court. One of the hardest situations an athlete has to do cope with is injury. After popping my hamstring in high school, I thought for a moment, I’d never walk the same way again, never mind run. To this day, I’ve undergone some painful situations playing with my still broken figure. It’s rough, but injuries are an aspect of sport we cannot overlook, it happens.

World-class heptathlete and 100m hurdler, Michelle Perry, has faced her own injuries as well. In fact, she’s undergoing surgery this year for a previous injury. With that said, Michelle’s smile shined bright as ever as she walked into the room at our interview. She remains so positive and says she’s doing her best to stay healthy. Sounds like basic strategy, but dude it’s hard. Injuries are nothing to sleep on. One wrong injury can really mess you up.

It’s after my conversation with Michelle that I’ve compiled three basic rules to help keep us all injury free in the next year. I’m sure you’ve heard of these rules before, but constant reminders are necessary!

Rules #1: Silence is Golden. Don’t talk in practice.
Those who’ve been caught talking during practice and were punished for it, you know how crucial it is to not talk! You will run extra. Coach will not have her team chatting away while she is conducting practice. Even for a gold medalist like Michelle; she told me her hardest practice was when she was talking with a teammate during her run. “After that practice, I kind of passed out.” Let’s keep talking to a minimum! Passing out is not an option.

Rule #2: Stretch.
Stretch for a good 15 minutes before you start, but never stretch a muscle for more than 10-15 seconds at a time. Michelle uses a pool to do her workouts to avoid excess aggravation to any particular muscle. If your not feeling loose, try and avoid overstressing muscles. Plus, who doesn’t love going for a nice swim after a sweaty workout?

Rule #3: Learn your Dance.
With the excessive amount of new dances that have come out, I’d say to be weary of which ones you can handle. Dancing is a workout within itself and if you’re going out after a long day of practice, taking it easy on the dance floor may be a good look for you. Keep it simple. Michelle likes using the two-step. It’s is a great way to avoid excessive movement and still keep with the party. It’s Michelle’s favorite dance move because you just can’t go wrong!

-Sarina