Most people only start rehab after something goes wrong. But what if you could prevent the injury in the first place?
That’s what Prehabilitation (Prehab) is: strategic strength, mobility, and stability work that keeps your body ready for life, training, and sport.
What is Prehab
Prehab (short for preventative rehabilitation) is a proactive approach to movement health. It focuses on improving mobility, stability, strength, and neuromuscular control before an injury occurs.
Prehab is not just stretching. It’s not only foam rolling or doing a few banded exercises before a workout. Prehab is a structured, consistent effort to identify and address weaknesses, imbalances, and movement limitations that might otherwise lead to injury.
Think of it like brushing your teeth. You don’t wait for cavities to start brushing — you do it every day to prevent them. Prehab works the same way for your joints, muscles, and connective tissues.
Why It Matters for EVERY Body (Not Just Athletes)
You don’t have to be a competitive athlete to benefit from prehab. In fact, it’s arguably more important for the average person who sits at a desk all day, chases after kids, or just wants to stay active into their later years.
Here’s why:
Modern life is imbalanced: We sit more than ever, often leading to tight hips, weak glutes, poor posture, and stiff shoulders.
Age-related decline: As we age, joint mobility and muscle mass naturally decline. Prehab helps slow this down.
Injury doesn’t discriminate: Whether you're a runner or someone who just likes long walks, prehab can protect you from issues like plantar fasciitis, lower back pain, or shoulder strain.
Prehab isn’t about training for the Olympics — it’s about building a body that functions well in daily life.
Simple Ways to Build Prehab into Your Routine
Prehab doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. The best approach is to integrate it into what you're already doing. Here are a few ideas:
1. Warm-Up with Purpose
Swap out random stretches for targeted mobility drills. Focus on areas that are commonly tight or unstable — hips, shoulders, ankles, and core.
Try this:
Before your next workout, do a 5-minute routine:
World’s greatest stretch (2x/side)
Glute bridges (10 reps)
Band pull-aparts (15 reps)
Bodyweight squats (10 reps)
2. Add “Prehab Days” to Your Week
Dedicate 1–2 sessions a week to low-intensity mobility and stability work.
Focus on:
Balance exercises
Core activation
Joint stability drills
Controlled range-of-motion training (like CARs or animal flow)
3. Incorporate Unilateral Movements
Single-leg or single-arm exercises reveal imbalances you might not notice with traditional bilateral movements. These also strengthen stabilizer muscles, which are key for injury prevention.
Examples:
Split squats
Single-leg deadlifts
One-arm dumbbell presses
4. Prioritize Sleep and Recovery
Yes, recovery is part of prehab. If your body doesn’t have time to repair and reset, it becomes more vulnerable to injury. Sleep, hydration, and stress management are just as essential as the physical work.
How Prehab Helps You Train Harder and Recover Faster
One of the biggest benefits of prehab? It doesn't just help you avoid injury, it actively makes you better.
When your body moves well, you can:
Lift heavier with proper form
Run longer with less joint stress
Perform explosive movements without pain
Bounce back from tough workouts faster
Prehab creates a solid foundation so you can push your limits safely. It improves proprioception (your awareness of where your body is in space), reduces compensations, and reinforces good movement patterns.
You don’t have to wait for an injury to take your body seriously. In fact, you shouldn’t.
Prehab is your body’s early defense system — and it belongs in everyone’s wellness toolkit, from weekend warriors to desk workers to serious lifters. By investing a little time into mobility, stability, and strength today, you’re building resilience for tomorrow.