Whether you’ve never had a sports injury and you’re trying to keep it that way or you’ve had an injury and don’t want another, the following tips from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases can help:

•  Avoid bending knees past 90 degrees when doing half knee bends.

•  Avoid twisting knees by keeping feet as flat as possible during stretches.

•  When jumping, land with your knees bent.

•  Do warm-up exercises not just before vigorous activities like running, but also before less vigorous ones such as golf.

•  Don’t overdo.

•  Do warm-up stretches before activity. Stretch the Achilles tendon, hamstring, and quadriceps areas and hold the positions. Don’t bounce.

•  Cool down following vigorous sports. For example, after a race, walk or walk/jog for 5 minutes so your pulse comes down gradually.

•  Wear properly fitting shoes that provide shock absorption and stability.

•  Use the softest exercise surface available, and avoid running on hard surfaces like asphalt and concrete. Run on flat surfaces. Running uphill may increase the stress on the Achilles tendon and the leg itself.