Prehab Explained: What Activate Does Before a Workout

Prehabilitation, or prehab, is proactive training that reduces the risk of injury before it happens. It is the opposite of waiting until something hurts to act. The Activate programme is built entirely around this idea, turning pre-workout preparation into a genuine injury-prevention tool.

Before a workout, the body needs to be prepared for the specific demands that are coming. Activate does this by targeting the tissues that rugby stresses most: the neck and shoulders for contact, the knees and ankles for changing direction, and the hamstrings for sprinting. Each movement progressively loads these areas so they are ready for higher forces.

The key is that prehab is not stretching. Static stretching alone does not reduce injuries. What works is active, controlled loading through full ranges of motion, building strength in the positions where injuries occur. That is why Activate includes hopping, landing, and resisted movements rather than long holds.

Done consistently, prehab compounds. Players who activate properly before every session arrive at contact and sprint work better prepared, and over a season they miss fewer games. The video above walks through each prehab block so you can see the intention behind every movement.