Whether you love to exercise or you’ve recently jumped on the fitness bandwagon, it’s beneficial to be able to push yourself without risking injury. There is such a thing as exercising too much, and your body can start to show signs of wear and tear if you’re not recovering properly, or you’re putting too much strain and stress on your muscles and joints. If you’re keen to make the most of training, here are some tips to help you steer clear! prevent injury
Prevent Injury
Injuries are fairly common, while many cannot be prevented, there are steps you can take to try and reduce risks. Warming up is crucial, no matter what kind of activity you’re undertaking or how long you plan to train for (especially if you are runners like us).
Even if you’re just going for a gentle jog, you need to ensure your body is ready. Take 5-15 minutes before every session to stretch and get your heart pumping. When your heart rate rises, more oxygen is delivered to your muscles.
During exercise, make sure you’re using the correct technique because you could cause yourself an injury if you don’t. If you’re new to strength training, for example, start with lighter weights. Build your fitness gradually and maybe get yourself a PT if you can afford it.
After exercising, include a cool down. This will bring your heart rate down steadily and help to prevent lactic acid build-up. Combine low-intensity cardio exercises, for example, walking or jogging on the spot with stretching. If you feel a niggle after training, or you start to experience pain during exercise, go steady, and consider calling it a day. It’s advisable to explore physiotherapy services if you’re prone to injury, you have a history of injuries, or you struggle with a lack of flexibility or mobility. Physiotherapy is designed to promote healing and improve suppleness and mobility using targeted exercises.
Listen to your body
When it comes to exercise, we tend to think that the harder we push, the better. While it can be beneficial to try and eke out that extra 10%, it’s critical to avoid overtraining and going too far. Listen to your body. If you’re exhausted, or you’ve started to experience aches and pains, take a day off. If you continue to train, you could injure yourself. It’s better to focus on the quality of your training sessions, rather than the length or quantity.
Introduce some friendly competition
Human beings are competitive creatures, and most of us perform better when somebody else is trying to beat us. If you want to get to that next level in your training sessions, consider taking a buddy along with you or joining forces with others you see at the gym or bump into at a running club or spin class. Being sociable when you exercise can also make fitness more fun.
It’s always beneficial to try and push yourself when you exercise, but we all have limits. It’s vital to train safely and to take steps to reduce the risk of injuries, protect your body and prevent fatigue.
