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How to avoid exercise and
fitness related injuries
If you’re an avid fitness
freak and believe that exercising regularly is the key to healthy living,
then you would be aware of the different workouts and their advantages.
While it’s important that you choose a routine that you would enjoy, you
must also consider factors such as your
age, health, height, weight, and
your endurance; you cannot trek if you’re severely asthmatic or go horseback
riding if you suffer from chronic
back pain. This doesn’t mean that you
cannot do what you like. But you must choose your physical activities
carefully to ensure that it doesn’t worsen your health condition.
It would be wise to start off slowly and with expert guidance if need be. If
you’re starting a new sport, enrol for classes. You could even check out
online forums for beginners’ exercises. Learn the fundamentals and when you
are absolutely certain that you can manage, chart out an exercise routine
for yourself. Get enough information about the
exercise. Know the pitfalls
if any and avoid them to not injure yourself. Pace yourself; don’t exercise
only over the weekends and not do anything the rest of the week. Spending
sometime every day regularly lowers the risk of injuries and also maximizes
the benefits.
You must warm up and
stretch your muscles before starting on your
treadmill
or Pilates.
Warming up also improves the
blood flow to the muscles and hence
they become better toned. You must introduce your body gradually to the
physical routine. It’s believed that you should make changes to your
workout
at the rate of 10% every week. This would ensure that the
muscles and joints
that are otherwise stiff due to the lack of exercising are not injured.
Since most of us don’t do many physical activities everyday, our body needs
time to get acclimatized to lifting weights or jogging an extra lap.
You could try out different exercises to lower the risk of strain. You would
not only enjoy the routine better but also be working out the different
muscles and joints of the body. Go
swimming one
day a week and do
cardiovascular
exercise another day. You could do aerobic exercise after some weeks of
doing an anaerobic routine. With such a schedule, the entire
musculoskeletal
system is exercised thereby reducing the risk of injuries.
When your body is telling you to stop, do so immediately. Don’t stress
yourself out. There are exercises that are exclusively meant for those of
you who are prone to fitness related injuries. You must work your way up the
routine; this slowly helps in raising the temperature of the body. When you
notice swelling or intense pain, change to a different set of
exercises.
There are some workouts that you can do only after you attain a certain
level of fitness. If you would like to include new exercises in your
regimen, do so with caution. Don’t take on anything that your body cannot
handle.
Ensure that the exercising equipment is of high-quality. Many a time
injuries could have been avoided if only the reliable apparatus was bought.
Get your gear from sports stores that sell authorized items. When it’s time
to replace the equipment, do so immediately. Look for worn-out cycle chains,
loose screws, or if the supports are sagging. Don’t rush to buy sports goods
from a store that is having a clearance sale. You will have to see for
yourself if the equipment is in a good enough condition. Double check for
defects and see if they can be repaired. Look for warranty. You don’t want
to end up with an injury because of faulty equipment. Comfortable gym wear
and shoes would not only make it comfortable for you but also prevent
injury. You must use the gear only for that intended sport—running shoes
cannot be used for a game of football.
You must hydrate your body sufficiently well especially after a strenuous
workout. Injury due to fatigue is also serious and since the
energy reserves
are lowered after an exercise session, you must quickly
replace the lost
energy. Sports drinks should be had about 30 minutes after the workout. You
can then start on another round of workout once your
muscles recover. You
must not exercise immediately after a meal or before a meal; a walk could be
alright but not a jog.
Don’t assume that stretching only before you start on your exercise regimen
is important. It’s essential that you cool down after the workout and only
then resume your other activities. A very
low intensity walk or jog is a
good way to lower the temperature. You would remain flexible and also reduce
your risk of exercise related injury. Also, even if you miss out on your
routine for a couple of days it’s a good idea to stretch your muscles at
least, to minimize injuries when you get back to your normal schedule.
While there are steps you could take to avoid fitness related injuries, it
would also be wise to know some fundamental first-aid care to ensure that
the injury isn’t aggravated due to lack of timely care. You could take a
non-steroidal painkiller. You must rest the strained area. If you would like
to apply some ice, wrap some in a towel and place it over the injury. You
should place the injured area over an elevation. You must see a doctor as
soon as possible.
Once you are used to exercising, you will realize that staying committed
isn’t an issue after you see the fabulous results coming your way. When
you’re injured and cannot exercise, you would probably have to keep off your
fitness regimen for sometime. However, you can always consult your doctor to
see if there are exercises that you could do to stay fit; in case you have
pulled a thigh muscle, you may only be able to walk short distances instead
of your regular sprinting. If you have recently had an injury or are
recovering from one, you must consult an orthopedic and get started on your
exercise regimen only under the care of a physiotherapist.
What Causes Muscle Cramps & How to Treat Them?
References:
http://sportsinjuries.suite101.com/article.cfm/prevention_of_muscle_injury
http://exercise.about.com/b/2006/05/16/dealing-with-exercise-injuries.htm
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/muscle-strain
http://health.dailynewscentral.com/content/view/0001816/63/
http://www.isnare.com/?aid=45322&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet
You must seek approval from your doctor
before starting any new exercise program.
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