Stop Muscle Injuries Before They Start: The Warm-Up Strategies Backed by Science
Written by Dr Julian Simpson — Chiropractor with 15+ years of experience, Board Member of the Chiropractic Australia Research Foundation, and author/reviewer of 800+ health articles.
Stop Muscle Injuries Before They Start: The Warm-Up Strategies Backed by Science
Are You Stretching… But Still Getting Injured?
Whether you're chasing the kids around Sunbury, training for local footy in Melton, enjoying weekend parkruns, or simply trying to stay active, muscle strains and tendon injuries can be incredibly frustrating.
Many people assume injuries happen because of bad luck.
The latest research suggests otherwise.
A comprehensive 2025 systematic review analysing 40 high-quality studies found that many common muscle and lower limb injuries can be significantly reduced with the right combination of warm-ups, strengthening exercises and sensible training progression.
The encouraging news?
Most of these programmes only require 10–20 minutes, a few times each week.
Why Do Muscle Injuries Happen?
Muscles and tendons generally become injured when they're asked to do more than they're are prepared for.
Common causes include:
Sudden increases in exercise or training
Skipping an effective warm-up
Muscle weakness
Poor balance or movement control
Fatigue
Returning to sport too quickly after time off
This isn't just a problem for elite athletes.
We regularly see similar patterns at Health Wise Chiropractic in people who:
Return to exercise after winter
Join a new gym
Play weekend sport
Spend long days driving along the Calder or Western Highway before trying to exercise
Suddenly increase their walking or running distances
What Did The Research Find?
Researchers reviewed 40 human studies, including:
12 meta-analyses
11 randomised controlled trials
7 systematic reviews
Multiple cohort and controlled studies
The evidence consistently showed that structured exercise programmes reduce injury risk while also improving athletic performance.
Rather than relying on one intervention alone, the most successful programmes combined:
Neuromuscular warm-ups
Balance exercises
Strength training
Dynamic mobility
Eccentric muscle strengthening
Gradual increases in training load
Recovery strategies
Neuromuscular Warm-Ups Can Reduce Injuries by Around 40%
One of the strongest findings involved structured neuromuscular warm-up programmes such as FIFA 11+.
Across numerous studies, participants experienced approximately:
41% lower overall injury risk
Reduced ankle injuries
Reduced knee injuries
Lower rates of ACL injuries
Better movement control
Several studies reported relative risk reductions between 43% and 50% for knee and ankle injuries.
For female athletes, one study demonstrated:
61% fewer ACL injuries
39% fewer ankle injuries
19% fewer lower limb injuries
Those are remarkable improvements from a warm-up lasting only minutes.
Better Performance Too
The benefits weren't limited to injury prevention.
Participants also became faster and more powerful.
Research demonstrated improvements including:
Vertical jump increased by approximately 4.7 cm
20-metre sprint times improved by around 0.38 seconds
Countermovement jump improved by 9.4% in elite female basketball players
Improved balance scores
Better muscular coordination
Increased aerobic fitness
Simply put, preparing your body properly doesn't slow you down—it helps you perform better.
The Nordic Hamstring Exercise Is One of the Best Injury Prevention Tools Available
Hamstring injuries are among the most common sporting injuries.
The review found strong evidence supporting the Nordic Hamstring Exercise.
Benefits included:
56.8–70% reduction in hamstring injuries
Fewer recurrent hamstring strains
Increased hamstring strength
Longer muscle fibres
Improved muscle balance
Researchers even calculated the Number Needed to Treat (NNT).
This means:
Training just 13 people could prevent one hamstring injury.
For recurrent hamstring injuries, training only 3 people could prevent one repeat injury.
That is considered extremely effective in sports medicine.
What Does a Nordic Hamstring Programme Look Like?
The review recommends a phased approach.
Introduction Phase
Perform 1–3 sessions per week, gradually increasing the workload over several weeks.
Maintenance Phase
Once adapted, aim for approximately:
48 total repetitions each week
These exercises should always be performed with good technique and progressed gradually.
Dynamic Warm-Ups Beat Static Stretching
Many Australians still perform long static stretches before exercise.
Modern evidence suggests there is a better option.
Dynamic warm-ups help prepare muscles for movement while maintaining strength and power.
The review found:
Dynamic stretching improved performance by approximately 1.3%
Prolonged static stretching reduced performance by approximately 3.7%
PNF stretching reduced performance by around 4.4% before explosive activities
That doesn't mean static stretching is bad.
It simply means it is generally better suited after exercise or during flexibility sessions rather than immediately before running, jumping or playing sport.
The Ideal Warm-Up
Research suggests an effective warm-up should include:
Light jogging or brisk walking
Dynamic leg swings
Hip mobility drills
Walking lunges
Squats
Balance exercises
Core activation
Short acceleration runs
Landing practice
Direction-change drills
Most successful programmes lasted between:
10–20 minutes
2–3 times each week
Interestingly, one study found 20-minute warm-ups were no more effective than 10-minute sessions, meaning consistency matters more than duration.
Strength Training Also Protects Against Injury
The review also found that regular strength training reduces injury risk.
One large meta-analysis showed:
Every 10% increase in strength training volume was associated with approximately a 4% reduction in injury risk.
The goal isn't simply lifting heavier weights.
It's progressively building stronger muscles, tendons and connective tissues so they can tolerate everyday demands.
Avoid Doing Too Much Too Soon
One of the clearest themes throughout the review was avoiding sudden spikes in activity.
Rapid increases in training load consistently increased injury risk.
Researchers found that gradual "ramp-up" programmes reduced lower limb muscle strains by approximately:
25%
Whether you're:
returning to the gym,
starting a running programme,
joining local football,
or increasing walking,
your body adapts best when increases happen gradually.
Recovery Matters More Than Most People Think
Interestingly, the review found no single recovery method was consistently superior.
Instead, researchers recommend focusing on the fundamentals:
Good sleep
Proper hydration
Nutritious food
Adequate recovery days
Listening to your body
Fancy recovery gadgets may help some people, but the basics remain the biggest contributors to recovery.
Health Wise Tip The best injury prevention doesn't rely on one treatment alone. Combining good movement quality, appropriate strength training, sensible load management, recovery, and hands-on care when needed gives your body the greatest opportunity to stay healthy and active. Chiropractic care can play an important role within this broader approach by helping optimise joint movement, improving mobility, addressing movement restrictions, and supporting your return to activity alongside an evidence-based exercise programme.
A Simple Weekly Injury Prevention Routine
Based on the research, a practical weekly programme could include:
2–3 Times Per Week
10–20 minute neuromuscular warm-up
Balance exercises
Core stability work
Dynamic mobility
Landing mechanics
Short acceleration drills
1–3 Times Per Week
Nordic Hamstring Exercises
Progressive lower limb strengthening
Hip and glute strengthening
Every Week
Increase training gradually
Prioritise quality sleep
Stay hydrated
Allow adequate recovery
The Bottom Line
Muscle injuries are not always unavoidable.
This large review of 40 studies shows that relatively short, structured exercise programmes can substantially reduce injury risk while improving performance.
Key takeaways include:
Neuromuscular warm-ups can reduce injury risk by around 41%.
Female athletes experienced up to 61% fewer ACL injuries with structured programmes.
Nordic Hamstring Exercises reduced hamstring injuries by 56.8–70%.
Just 10–20 minutes, 2–3 times each week, can make a meaningful difference.
Gradually increasing your training load is far safer than making sudden jumps in activity.
Whether you're preparing for weekend sport, getting back into fitness, or simply wanting to stay active with your family, investing a few minutes in proper preparation could save months of rehabilitation.
How Chiropractic Care May Help
At Health Wise Chiropractic, we take a comprehensive approach to posture-related care.
Treatment may include:
We focus on addressing both the symptoms and the underlying biomechanical stress contributing to neck dysfunction.
About the Author
Dr Julian Simpson is an Australian chiropractor with over 15 years of experience in musculoskeletal healthcare and rehabilitation.
He is a Board Member of the Chiropractic Australia Research Foundation and has reviewed and written more than 800 evidence-based health articles focused on spinal health, rehabilitation, sports injuries and conservative care approaches.
His treatment focus includes:
Chiropractic adjustments
Sports chiropractic
Massage therapy
Shockwave therapy
Laser therapy
Non-surgical spinal decompression
Dr Simpson provides patient care through Healthwise Chiropractic, serving communities including Sunbury, Melton, Diggers Rest and surrounding regions.
Reference
Kłobuchowski W, Skorulski M, Ornowski K, Roczniok R, Maszczyk A, Callegari B, Souza GS, Pietraszewski P, Kuliś S. Exercise-Based Strategies from Warm-Up to Training: A Systematic Review of Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention. Sports (Basel). 2026 May 6;14(5):187. doi: 10.3390/sports14050187. PMID: 42188564; PMCID: PMC13210987.
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