Reach Your Goals – Injury Prevention Tips
Have you recently started working out again? Have you started a new workout routine? Are you frustrated with injuries preventing you from reaching your exercise or weight loss goals? If so here are a few tips to keep in mind so you can be successful in attaining them.
- Gradually increase time and intensity. Many people have a lot of initiative when beginning an exercise program and can do too much too soon. This can result in injured tissues without adequate rest and can also be discouraging resulting in discontinuing the activity.
- Warm-up before exercise. This should be a gentle activity such as fast walking, or slow jogging just to increase the heart rate, allowing the soft tissues (muscles/ligaments) to be more pliable (flexible), preventing injury.
- Stretching after exercise. This is imperative. Throughout any exercise/activity you are constantly contracting muscles, which causes those muscles to shorten. Therefore when you have completed the exercise you must lengthen those targeted muscles. The sooner, the better – as when your body is warm your tissues the most flexible.
- Hydration. This is extremely important both before and after exercising. Our muscles are made up primarily of water so you need to nourish them in order for you to feel energized and to promote proper recovery. Common complaints when you are not drinking enough water are muscles cramps.
- Dress properly for your workout. One of the most important components of your “workout outfit” is proper footwear. This will depend on the sport you are engaging in and what type of walker/runner you are (ex. Overpronator). Improper foot wear can lead to injury. Assessment from a knowledgeable health care professional can be very helpful!
- Cross training. If you are involved in sport, such as running, the movements are continually in a similar plane of movement, you need to train supporting muscles in the other planes of movement in order to prevent injury – such as in bootcamp!
- Work with a trainer. If you are participating in a home exercise program or working out at the gym on your own, without proper technique this can lead to injury and less success in attaining your goals. A personal trainer is a great way to prevent unnecessary injury and reach your goals at a faster pace!
Exercising is an excellent way to stay healthy. However, to be successful at continuing and achieving your goals injury prevention is key!
Any questions please feel free to email me at renacitron@hotmail.com. You can also visit proactive-healthcare.com for more information.
Rena.