Exercise is one of the best things you can do on a daily basis to improve your overall health. But when exercising leads to injury, it can take weeks, months, or longer to just get back to your normal routine and no one has time for that. That’s why it’s important to know how to avoid injury while exercising and these tips will tell you everything you need to continue to get healthy as safe as possible.
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Warm Up and Cool Down
This is one of the first things that busy exercisers cut out because they simple don’t have the time. I can honestly say that I have been guilty of this on more than one occasion, but I always have to remind myself that there’s a reason why it’s important to warm up and cool down before and after every workout.
These transitions help prepare your body for what’s next. Warming up involves light activity to literally warm your muscles up by increasing your body temperature and blood flow. It’s like telling your body that you’re about work hard and you’re going to need it to perform well. Cooling down reverses this process by reducing your body temperature and allowing your body to regulate your blood pressure and blood flow to get it back to it’s natural resting state.
Another component that should be included in warming up and cooling down is dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching is basically stretching mixed with light movement, so that you’re warming up your muscles and stretching them out at the same time. Check out this video for a demonstration. As she points out, it is important to include variations of the workout you will be doing to warm up so that you’re warming up the right muscle groups.
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Use Proper Form
This tip is crucial for avoiding injury while exercising. If you’re not doing the exercises correctly, you’re setting yourself up for failure, both in injury and ineffective workouts. Essentially, the exercises will not accomplish what you want them to because you’re not doing them how they are meant to be done.
For example, if you are doing push-ups and you don’t go the whole way down to the floor, but rather, you only lower your body half way to the floor and you don’t engage your core, you run the risk of hurting your back, and shoulders. Instead of creating lean, toned arms, you could tweak your back and create unstable joints.
Take time to understand an exercise before attempting it for yourself. Learn the proper form and once you get used to doing it correctly, you can build on that and have a solid foundation to grow from.
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Don’t Overdue It and Know the Risks
Obsession can become a real problem when it comes to exercising. The endorphin rush and utterly amazing feeling you get after a great workout can become very addicting. Those that develop this mentality can easily overdue it at the gym or in their workouts and injure themselves because they begin to disregard their body and the signs that it’s giving them that what they’re doing is too much.
It’s also important to know the risks of whatever exercise you’re doing. Research ahead of time and be prepared for common injuries that can happen so that you can help prevent them. For instance, you can easily twist or sprain an ankle running on uneven surfaces. Therefore, if you’re running in the woods or other cross-country trail or path, be cautious about what ground you’re running on so that you don’t hurt yourself.
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Cross Train
Another great way to prevent injury is to cross train. Cross training involves using various activities other than the activity you usually do for exercise to improve overall strength and endurance. For example, if you know that constant running can be hard on your joints, then, instead of running all of the time to build up your endurance, mix it up with swimming. It’s a great cardiovascular exercise that is easier on your joints, which is why many runners use it to balance their workouts and improve their skill without overdoing it on one muscle group or joint.
There are many different activities you can use to cross train. It’s a good idea to focus on the muscle groups that you usually train and come up with other exercises you can use to train them differently and other exercises you can use that involve other muscles to balance your body.
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Know Your Body and Your Limitations
You are the expert of your own body. You know it better than anyone. So, when it comes to exercise, you know what you can and cannot do. And, there is a difference between what you can’t do and what you can’t do yet.
For example, if you’ve had multiple knee injuries and it still gives you issues every time you do a specific activity, don’t use that activity. There are plenty of other ways to work the same muscles in ways that prevent additional injury to your joints and muscles that have been injured in the past. On the other hand, if you know you can’t run 5 miles because the farthest you’ve ever been able to run is 1 mile, then you know you can’t run 5 miles yet. If there is nothing keeping you from the act of running, then it’s not an unreasonable goal to one day be able to run 5 miles and gradually work towards that goal by increasing the distance you run little by little.
And just because you have a prior injury doesn’t mean you have to count yourself out of a specific exercise altogether. Often, there is a modified version of the move or exercise that you can still do and make it work for you.
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Prepare Appropriately
It’s always a good idea to plan ahead, and there are many ways to do this. Wearing the right gear for the exercise you’re doing is important, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money on name brand gear either. Focus on the exercise you are doing and what will help you accomplish the activity. However, there are some basics you should invest in for good health.
Quality shoes are key with any exercise (unless the exercise doesn’t require shoes). Figure out whether you will be using the shoes more for running or training and then focus on the needs of each activity and your individual needs. For instance, if you are typically flat-footed and need arch support and you are going to be doing a lot of running, focus on a good pair of running shoes that offer great arch support. I personally love Nike and have used them time and time again. Make sure whatever you choose, that it is comfortable over a period of time, and if possible, for a variety of activities.
As a woman, I would also invest in a great sports bra. It can seem simple and silly to spend money on something that you can’t even see while exercising, but trust me, it can make all the difference! I noticed this especially after I had my first son and I was still breastfeeding. Let me tell you, you definitely need some extra support and as someone who loves working out, I really didn’t feel comfortable working out with anything less. I felt like I couldn’t do my best or exercise like I wanted to until I got a really supportive bra.
Make sure that whatever else you choose to wear fits well. If it doesn’t fit, you won’t want to wear it and consequently might not want to work out. Give yourself every chance you can to get your workouts done!
Remember to fuel yourself properly, too! Healthy foods and good nutrition are vital to give you the energy you need!
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Rest and Recover Properly
Finally, an important part of staying healthy and safe while working out is to do just the opposite: rest. If you don’t rest and relax properly, your muscles will not be able to recover in order to workout again the next day. This goes along with workout obsession. If you work and work until you wear yourself out, eventually, your body will make you take a break and it will likely keep you down for a lot longer than you would’ve rested originally. Take one day a week and make it your rest day. Only do light activity or stretching on this day to recover well and be ready to go for the next week.
Getting enough sleep is important too! Your body rejuvenates your muscles overnight while you’re sleeping and if you rob yourself of rest, your body will not be able to recover and prepare like it needs to for the next day.
There you have it! Follow these steps and you’ll avoid injury while getting greater workout results. Just a few more tips to take you one step further on your own healthy journey! Enjoy!
Disclaimer…This post contains links to other companies and products, but it does not reflect the views or opinions of those mentioned. All views and opinions expressed are my own, and I only include those mentioned to provide additional information for your reference.