So you got yourself a gym pass, or have invested into some workout equipment. Congrats, you've made the commitment to take your physical fitness to the next level! You jump into your new routine feet-first, putting lots of ambition and energy into seeing results. Before you know it, "ouch"... a workout injury stops you dead in your tracks. But before you go blaming yourself, know that a workout injury can happen to anyone, regardless of their experience or fitness level.
How did it happen?
I have just finished suffering from a pretty bad back strain, the first workout injury I've had in a long time. The cause: I thought I could go without stretching and warming up before my workout. Have ay workout injuries ever happened to you? What is your warm-up and stretching philosophy?
It could be that you've become so used to working out that you've forgotten about preventing injuries. Some injuries happen when you do the right activity too much or too often. Or it can be that you did the right activity the wrong way. Maybe you chose the wrong activity for your particular body type, or you weren't quite ready for that exercise.
There's all kinds of ways you can get hurt during work out. Muscle pulls and strains, sprained ankles, shoulder injuries, knee injuries, shin splints, tendonitis and wrist sprains and dislocations are the most common injuries.
In this post
we'll look at some simple things you can do to work out and prevent fitness
injuries.
Preventing Workout Injuries
There are simple steps that can help keep you injury-free during your workout. To make sure you're healthy enough to work out, check with a doctor before you start an exercise program if you haven't exercised for a long time, are out of shape, or if you're a woman over the age of 55 or a man over age 45.
Here are guidelines for avoiding injuries during your workout:
Warm-up and cool-down. You should warm up before every workout, and end with a cool-down period. A warm-up gets your body ready for exercise by gradually increasing your heart rate and loosens your muscles and joints so that your muscles are less likely to be injured when handling stress.
Some ways to warm up:
- ride an exercise bike
- jump rope
- jog in place for five to 10 minutes
A cool-down after you work out is important to bring your heart rate back to normal at a slow rate. Walking at a gradually slower pace for five to 10 minutes after you work out is one way to cool down.
Stretch. Stretch before and after you workout. This will:
- increase flexibility
- reduce risk of muscle soreness and injury
Ease into it. It starts out as just wanting to get more exercise. Then, you’ve forgotten about all those years since the last time you exercised and you do too much too quickly for too long with too much intensity. This end result to this is often injury.
When you begin an exercise routine or start a new workout program, start slowly. Then gradually build on the intensity, duration, and frequency. Don't push yourself too hard. As your fitness abilities increase, you will be able to challenge yourself more.
So if you’re new to weight training for example, start with weights you can lift for 8-12 reps, and do no more than three sets. When that gets easy, increase the weight by just a little bit at your next session. Almost everyone thinks they are in better shape than they are, which is how and why injuries occur.
If you overestimate your strength, you are more likely to injure yourself because of improper technique and the use of secondary muscles.
Varying your workouts helps give your muscles adequate rest between workouts.
This is called cross training. If you overuse one set of muscles, you repeat the same muscle movements over and over which can lead to overuse and repetitive-use injuries such as shin splints and tendonitis.
Some ways to vary your workout:
- run on day one
- lift weights on day two
- swim or cycle on day three
Listen to your body. Know what your weak areas are and avoid activities that are going to push hard on that weakened area. If you're unable to slowly build up the intensity and difficulty of the exercise on the weakened area, then, to avoid injury, you have to avoid the activities that stress them.
For example, let's say you have a bad back, you should avoid doing back stretches on a stability ball. If you have weak wrists, weight lifting may not be your sport. And hip problems may make it impossible for you to join a spinning class.
We all love to follow the "no pain, no gain" philosophy (I know I do, anyway.) Soreness is good, but pain is bad. These two are different, and not knowing the difference can set you up for an injury. Assuming it isn't actual pain, as in torn ligament/cracked bones pain, the soreness that comes after a good, hard workout is a good thing, in a sense. While exercise makes the muscles work and use energy, microscopic damage to the muscle fibers drives muscle growth.
However, after intense exercise the muscles need to replenish their stores of fuel. Make sure to feed your body well. And proper rest is crucial - this is when your muscles repair the microscopic damage and grow.
If you don't rest and refuel properly, this could push you to the point of pain. If you feel pain, stop your workout and rest for a day.
Fuel your body. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after you work out. A good rule of thumb is to drink this amount of water:
- 8 ounces (about 250ml/1 cup) about 20 to 30 minutes before working out.
- 8 ounces (about 250ml/1 cup) every 10 to 20 minutes during your workout.
- 16 ounces (about 500ml/2 cups) after your workout.
See a trainer. Before starting a weight-lifting or exercise routine, consult a trainer. He or she can show you how to work out correctly. The trainer will help you create a safe and realistic exercise program.
Keep in mind that while almost any pro can give you some pointers worth listening to, you should make certain your trainer is aware of your personal characteristics, including your age.
There is such a thing as a trainer pushing you too hard, and that can increase the risk of injury. Be sure to voice any limits, trouble spots or concerns that you have.
There is such a thing as a trainer pushing you too hard, and that can increase the risk of injury. Be sure to voice any limits, trouble spots or concerns that you have.
Dress right. Wear the proper gear for your workout. If you are a runner, wear a good pair of properly-fitting running shoes. If you are a biker, always wear a helmet.
Rest: Working out every day is fine as long as you’re not feeling pain, But remember that tired muscles are an invitation to injury. So give yourself adequate time for particular muscle groups to rest and recover. Rest days give your body a chance to recover between workouts, thereby helping prevent injuries.
Treating Workout Injuries
No matter how careful you are, injuries can happen. If you develop a workout injury, follow the RICE method to keep your injury from getting worse:- R: rest the injury
- I: ice the injury to lessen swelling, bleeding, and inflammation
- C: apply a compression bandage to minimize swelling
- E: elevate the injury to reduce swelling
Most workout injuries will heal on their own in four weeks or less. If the injury has not improved within a week, or if it gets worse, seek medical care. And always use common sense. It's best to seek medical advice if the injury concerns you.
Until you are fully healed, avoid doing the activity that triggered the injury. And avoid any activity that puts strain on the injured area.
You can still be active as long as you don't stress the injury. Staying active may help you heal quicker than if you take to the couch. Try a new workout while your injury heals. For example, if you sprain your ankle, exercise your arms instead. If you hurt your shoulder, work out your legs by walking.
After you have fully recovered from your injury -- pain-free for more than a week -- start back slowly. Don't try to work out with the same intensity you did before your injury. You will need to rebuild your muscle strength and endurance. It may take a few weeks of regular exercise to regain your pre-injury fitness level. If you push too hard and too fast, you may injure yourself again.
Care of www.webmd.boots.com/fitness-exercise/guide/avoid-workout-injuries?page=4 here are some tips for avoiding injury while performing six types of common exercises.
1. Jogging
Potential injuries: Knee and foot problems, including torn meniscus or cartilage injury.
How to avoid them: Wear good shoes; rest between sessions; don’t work through the pain; ice your knees.
2. Ski machines and air-walking devices (like the Gazelle)
Potential injuries: Hip, leg, lower back problems due to hyperextension; knee injuries due to locked in position.
How to avoid them: Don’t pull your legs apart farther than you would during a natural stride. Try to keep some flexibility in your knees -- don’t lock them tight.
3. Yoga
Potential injuries: Wrist sprains and hip problems.
How to avoid them: Don’t put excess weight on your wrists; reinforce them with supports; don’t let anyone "push" your body into a position it doesn’t naturally go into without pain.
4. Leg extension exercises and leg press machines
Potential injuries: Kneecap dislocation or bruising; aggravation of arthritis in knee; disc problems; tendinitis.
How to avoid them: Never lock your knees. Don’t put your foot under a bar or other rigid equipment that forces your leg into an unnatural position.
5. 30-minute circuit training workout (like at Curves)
Potential injuries: Torn rotator cuffs; shoulder damage from doing too much too soon.
How to avoid them: Don’t feel obligated to do the whole 30-minute routine when starting out, especially if you feel pain. Stop, rest, and don’t push down too hard.
6. Assisted dips
Potential injuries: Shoulder, elbow, wrist dislocations; muscle strains; ligament tears.
How to avoid them: Don’t use a dip machine that requires you to drop down so low that your shoulders come up to your ears.
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