9 Ways to Prevent Injury While Exercising
If your New Year’s resolution was finally dropping those last 10 pounds and becoming a fitter, healthier you then make sure your workout plans don’t include a trip to the doctor. Injury while exercising is not uncommon and can attack without warning. You need to take precautions to prevent severe damage to your muscles, tendons and bones so read our top 9 tips to avoid exercise related injury:
1. Physical Check Up
Make sure to visit a health professional on routine basis. Your doctor may help you in suggesting any limitations or modifications to your health routine according to your gender, age and health condition. Disorders such as bone and joints problems and heart disease are something you might want to make sure of before you begin your Exercising .
2. Time and Intensity Exercising
When you first start an exercise routine, you’re enthusiastic and excited to begin a new journey. However, this over enthusiasm can lead to injuries as you can push your body too hard and exhaust your muscles. This is dangerous and can lead to permanent damage. The best way to begin the exercise is for 30 minutes every alternate day with low intensity. You can measure the intensity of your exercise by using the rating of an exertion scale, which monitors changes in heart and breathing rate, sweating and muscle exhaustion. Also, always take a day break in between workouts and make sure you follow a regular sleeping pattern.
3. Hire a Personal Trainer
If you can afford a personal trainer, this would be the best scenario, especially if you’re a beginner. Where to begin, how to start, what to do, what to eat? A personal trainer can help you with all these problems. Commit for a few months and then you’ll be ready to train on your own.
4. Warm up Before Exercise
Many beginners are either not aware of the importance of warming up or do not perform it effectively. You need to slowly bring your body temperature up so that your heart can work efficiently. Before you hit the treadmill for hardcore cardio or muscle training. For that you need a warm up exercise which can be anything ranging from jogging, walking at a fast pace or even jumping jacks.
5. Do Not Exercising on an Empty Stomach
Some people assume that working on an empty stomach, such as in the morning, will help them burn more calories. However, working out on a completely empty stomach can cause you to crash and burn since have insufficient fuel. You tend to exhaust much quicker which results in burning much lesser calories. Therefore the best time to work out is around 2-3 hours after a meal.
6. Prevent Dehydration
Make sure to take in 16 oz. of water 2 hours before you work out. Dehydration can cause muscle cramps and also exhaust you mid workout. Also, have some water amidst your exercise to replace the water that you have lost during the work out.
7. Pay Attention to Your Body
Always remember to listen to any signals your body is sending. Any pain in your muscles should not be ignored and if your muscles are resisting exercise do not force it. Any easily recoverable pain can turn into a permanent damage if not given medical attention immediately. If you feel uncomfortable, take a day or two off until you feel better.
8. Cross Train
Eventually, the excitement and enthusiasm in a beginner dies and boredom comes in. This is when cross training helps. Cross training prevents over stressing on certain group of muscles and effects more muscles together. Day after day, you may be setting yourself up for injury or mental burnout and that is not a good way to get fit. So add different exercises to your routine and never get bored or injured.
9. Dress Properly
Make sure to wear quality running shoes for your work out and replace them as they wear and tear over time. Choose fabrics like polyester and thinsulate that wick off sweat from your skin unlike cotton which traps sweat for your shorts and shirt.
