Injury Prevention Exercises: A Physiotherapist's Guide to Staying Out of the Clinic

The evidence for this isn't marginal. A large meta-analysis of injury prevention programmes found strength training reduced sports injuries by roughly two-thirds and overuse injuries by around half, while proprioception (balance) training reduced injuries by close to half — stretching alone showed no significant protective effect (Lauersen et al., meta-analysis, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2014). The takeaway is specific: strength and balance work is what earns its place in a prevention routine, not stretching alone.

Three things, most weeks:

• Strength basics — a squat pattern, a push, a pull and a hinge, two to three times a week. Bodyweight is a genuine starting point; you don't need a gym to begin.
• Balance and proprioception work — single-leg standing, progressing to single-leg reaching or an unstable surface, a few minutes a few times a week.
• A movement-prep warm-up before sport — a short routine of dynamic movement and activation before training or a match, rather than starting cold.

Adults returning to exercise after time off, weekend sports players whose training load jumps sharply at the weekend, and anyone with a past injury — a previous injury is one of the strongest predictors of a future one in the same area, which makes targeted prevention work particularly worthwhile if that's you.

A general routine like the one above is a solid default, but it isn't tailored to you. If you have persistent niggles, a specific past injury that keeps flaring, or genuine uncertainty about your technique on key exercises, a PhysioHub assessment can build a programme around your actual risk factors rather than a generic template. See our guide on what a physiotherapist actually does for what that first assessment involves. If a flare-up is stopping you from training through a prevention programme, a TENS machine can sometimes help take the edge off while you keep moving, though it doesn't replace addressing the underlying weakness or load issue.

Strength and balance work, done consistently, meaningfully cuts injury risk — the evidence for this is strong and specific. A simple routine is a good place to start; a tailored one is better if you've got a history of niggles or a specific past injury.