You can’t take injuries out of sports but a Washington County physical therapist says staying active during the offseason can help lessen your chance of injury. Eric Turner is the co-owner of JET Physical Therapy in Washington and Wellman, and has practiced physical therapy in the county since 2001.

Turner says more and more high school athletes are finding out how offseason training is just as important to their development in a sport as regular season practice is and says the work done ahead of time can help reduce the chance of injury. “The kids we see injured the most often, particularly early in the season, are the kids who haven’t done much during the preseason or summertime.” Turner said, “As coaches are taking them through drills and conditioning, their bodies can’t handle some of the demands placed on them. The next thing you know, they are dealing with some pain, they are dealing with an overuse injury, and now they are missing time from practice.”

Turner adds a cross country runner needs to focus on conditioning work and strength training for their legs. He suggests volleyball players work on their technique and upper body strength for their shoulders. Finally, Turner says football players need to be the best conditioned athletes prior to the season due to the demands and physicality of the sport.

Hear an interview with Turner about offseason training and how to prevent overuse injuries on this week’s PM Sports Page on KCIIRadio.com.