People who do not prepare properly before exercise or playing a sport may find themselves with an injury. A pulled groin is a common injury that occurs when an inner thigh muscle is strained beyond its threshold. Depending on the severity of the strain, the amount of pain a person will feel will vary. The best way to avoid a pulled groin is to stretch the muscles before exercising, start any physically activity slowly, use the right equipment, and maintain a consistent pace.
When trying to avoid a pulled groin, the most important thing to keep in mind is to stretch before any physical activity. Stretching will gradually warm up the muscles, helping them to be more flexible. In turn, this makes the muscles more prepared to undergo strenuous activity, reducing the chance of cramping and tearing.
Starting an activity slowly, even something that does not seem strenuous like jogging, is another way to help avoid pulling the groin muscle. For example, joggers should start by walking slowly and gradually increasing the pace into a healthy jog. Bodybuilders should start with lighter weights and gradually work up to heavier ones.
Avoiding a pulled groin is not just in the starting preparation, however; exercisers must also take care to be in the right equipment and on the right kind of terrain. Joggers should never wear shoes with worn soles, because this will throw the jog off-balance and increase the likelihood of groin injury. Additionally, a jogger should always strive to jog on a soft, flat surface for the same reason. Likewise, bodybuilders should not wear anything too restrictive when lifting weights.
Maintaining pace is also important when avoiding a pulled groin, which goes hand-in-hand with starting slowly. Runners do not generally sprint the entire length of a marathon, nor should a bodybuilder rapidly raise weights into the air. In running, the key to determining pace is conversation; if a runner can sing while running, it's too slow a pace, but if he can't say a word without gasping, it's too fast.
There are three categories of a pulled groin, from mild to severe. Most people affected by mild or moderate groin pulls generally only require resting and applying ice to the affected area. People suffering from severe injuries may require medical attention. Severe groin injuries can lead to hernias if left untreated.