6 Secrets for Exercising without causing an Injury - 14/06/2010
6 Secrets for Exercising without causing an Injury
1. Warm up your muscles
Warming up our muscles actually decreases your risk of injury. So what are appropriate warm-up activities – walking is the best or if you are performing high intensity exercise (i.e. jogging) then work at 50% of your maximum heart rate. You need to only perform a warm-up for 10-15min and this helps warm the muscles up by increasing blood flow to the muscles. This is especially important when exercising in cold weather or if you have a pre-existing injury or arthritis.
2. Stretching
Stretching needs to be performed after you have ‘warmed up’. Ideally you should stretch the muscles that you are going to use for the particular activity, sport or exercise program you are performing. Choose a few stretches that will stretch major muscle groups and if you feel particularly tight in an area perform extra stretches on this section.You need to repeat each stretch 5 – 10 times and hold each stretch for approx 10 – 30 seconds. The number of times you repeat the stretch and/or hold the stretch will be dependant on how tight the muscle is.Stretching helps lengthen the muscle, which prepares it for performing exercise. It is also important that you stretch after completing your exercise session, especially whilst the muscles are warm. This aids in recovery and prevents ‘muscle soreness’ from occurring.
3. Avoid overtraining or overloading
The old theory “no pain, no gain” is a fallacy. Exercise does not have to hurt for it to be good for you. In fact, if it does hurt you are probably doing something wrong. Some soreness is common after exercising, but if it continues for more than 2 days, then it highly likely you could be pushing yourself too hard.
If you find you are sore after every exercise session, you may not be giving your body time to recover sufficiently. You must allow at least 24-48 hours for muscles to recover after a strenuous workout, such as a ‘resistance exercise program’. On the days you don’t perform strenuous or resistance exercise, perform low to medium intensity cardiovascular exercise (e.g. cycling, walking).
When it comes to exercising, you need an even balance of exercise sessions and rest. Injuries will be more likely to occur when the intensity of training is excessive. This causes damage to tissues and undue stress to the body that cannot be adequately repaired during an exercise session. So if you find you are pulling up sore after an exercise session you should review your exercise program and check if you are overloading your body with too heavy weights or too high intensity activities. Another thing to look at is if you are exercising too often. If you are starting exercise for the first time you need to start slowly and build up your tolerance.
The amount of rest your body requires will differ for everyone. Let your body be a guide. As a general rule women generally require more recovery time than men, as do older individuals compared to younger ones.If you are participating in heavier, more strenuous activities you will require longer recovery periods for the muscles involved.
If you are still unsure what is contributing to muscle soreness or reoccurring injuries seek advice from an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. They can guide and provide you with recommendations to ensure you are exercising safely and within your body’s limits.
4. Don’t exercise when tired, sick, in pain or have an injury
Do not try to push through pain or continue exercising or playing when you feel exhausted or tired.
Pain usually indicates a problem or potential underlying injury. You need to pay attention to the warning signs that your body provides. Fatigue has been shown to be a significant risk factor in athletic injuries. If you are sick or feeling generally unwell do not exercise. Wait until your body is feeling better, you are only putting yourself at risk of injury or manifesting your illness. Missing one session, won’t hurt your exercise training program. Listen to your body!
5. Keep hydrated & wear appropriate clothing
When exercising, you can lose between ½ - 1 Litre of water for every 1hr of exercise. Therefore it is important to replenish these losses. A good general rule of thumb is to drink approximate 500ml of water every 20-30 minutes during the activity. If you keep your hydration levels up you are ensuring the muscles don’t fatigue too early and increase their risk of injury.
It is also important that you dress appropriately during exercise, especially in extreme weather (i.e. summer, winter). Breathable clothing is recommended in hot weather, and extra hydration is extremely important. If you wear thick, heavy clothing this can lead to excessive sweating, which causes the body to lose heat more rapidly and may increase the risk of hypothermia. In colder weather, dressing in layers is recommended. And remember don’t strip off after an exercise session in cold weather, the extra layers help keep your body warm and assist in appropriate recovery and prevent injuries from occurring.
6. Wear appropriate shoes
You feet act as shock absorbers, and therefore are subjected to nearly high levels of pressure during strenuous exercise. Correct and appropriate footwear is important to cushion these loads. You must ensure you wear the right footwear for the particular activity or exercise you are participating in (e.g. football boots to play football, running shoes to walk or jog).
If you experience a lot of low back pain, leg or feet pain you may have issues with how your feet role when they hit the ground. You should seek advice from a Podiatrist to have your feet examined. A Podiatrist can also advise you on appropriate footwear for your chosen activity. Having the correct shoes minimizes your risk of injury.
Remember if the tread on the soles of your shoes has worn considerably, it probably time for a new pair of shoes. If you continue to exercise in worn shoes you put yourself at risk of an injury.
In Conclusion
As more people start recognising the health benefits of exercise and become more physically active, it is imperative to understand how to exercise safely. While exercise-related injuries are not entirely preventable, taking necessary precautions can help to decrease them significantly.
An individually designed exercise program designed by an Accredited Exercise Physiologist that focuses cardiovascular and resistance based exercises will help in injury prevention. You should increase the duration and intensity of your exercise session gradually to allow the body to adapt. Do not ignore symptoms of soreness or pain. Address these symptoms immediately with your GP, Physiotherapist, Podiatrist, Chiropractor or Exercise Physiologist. Careful monitoring of your body and exercise regimen not only helps to minimise injury, but also ensure the exercise is more enjoyable. Otherwise, have fun exercising and remember to play it safe!
RSS
