06/23/2025

As a physical therapist who works with many hypermobile clients, and who is hypermobile myself, I’ve seen firsthand how misunderstood this condition can be. Hypermobility isn’t just being “bendy” or good at yoga. It’s a connective tissue difference that can affect joint stability, coordination, and how the nervous system regulates the body. And one of the biggest concerns I hear from clients is: How do I stop getting injured all the time? Continue reading to learn about hypermobility and injury prevention.

Injury prevention for hypermobility isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing things differently and meeting your body where you are right now.

People with hypermobility are more prone to sprains, dislocations, muscle strains, and overuse injuries—often from activities that don’t seem risky to others. This is because our joints move beyond the typical range, and our muscles often have to work overtime to create stability that our ligaments can’t provide. Over time, that compensation can lead to fatigue and pain.

But here’s the good news: injury risk can be dramatically reduced with the right approach.

Hypermobility and Injury Prevention

• Building stability: Stretching can sometimes worsen symptoms. Instead, we work on a controlled range of motion and joint alignment.
• Targeted strength training: Especially around joints that frequently sublux or feel unstable—hips, shoulders, knees, and spine. This is gradual over time, we start with a small range of motion and a lighter load.
• Motor control and proprioception: Hypermobile people often have poor body awareness, which increases the risk of injury. Balance, coordination, and slow, mindful movements are key.
• Pacing and recovery: Many of my clients are surprised to learn that overtraining—not undertraining—is often the issue. Learning how to listen to your body, set boundaries, and recover is crucial.

As someone who lives with this condition, I understand the mental toll too, worrying that your body can’t be trusted, or feeling frustrated when it doesn’t respond the way you want. But I also know that injury prevention doesn’t mean you have to sit on the sidelines.

Movement is still for you. It just needs to be designed with intention.

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