To decrease your risk of injury, strength training is recommended, according to the studies on injury-prevention. http://www.running-physio.com/strength-review/
Strength training in the range of 70% and up of 1 rep maximum helps to prevent injury significantly. Another component to decreasing injury risk is to avoid overtraining. Overtraining frequently results in injury.
Stretching, on the other hand, does not reduce the chance of injury. It may actually increase the risk of injury if done right before training or an event. I still believe it is helpful to increase range of motion and for recovery purposes.
In any case, doing strength training builds the muscles, the tendons and the ligaments, which decreases the risk of injury. According to the research, this is best done with heavier weights and lower reps. 10 reps or less with weights at least 70% of 1 rep maximum. Of course, proper technique must be maintained in weight training. In particular for Olympic lifts, using a coach or personal trainer to advise you on technique is important.
And working with a coach or personal trainer is valuable for your strength training. Strength training is not limited to just lifting weights. I highly recommend bodyweight exercises as a way to build strength and to avoid injury. Bodyweight exercises develop the core in addition to the limbs and they are functional. They use real movements that a person would actually carry out, rather than isolating muscles.
Some people don't like hanging out in the gym lifting weights, so there are some sports that are just as effective as weight training. Gymnastics is a great way to train athleticism and strength. Rock climbing is also excellent for developing the body in a functional way. Parkour has become popular and uses bodyweight training to develop strength and movement. Wrestling is another sport that develops the body in a good, functional manner.
Here is the article on strength training and injury prevention: http://www.running-physio.com/strength-review/
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