Workout Injury Prevention Tips

While physical activity and exercise have known health benefits such as reducing risk of cancer, helping to prevent heart conditions, reducing blood pressure and high cholesterol, improving your mood, and helping you to lose weight, among others, there are also risks involved.

Workout related injuries are more common then you may think or know about. Each year too many people suffer from sport related injuries and I’m not talking about professional athletes, just regular folks like you and me who like to keep active and want to be fit and lean. Some of these injuries are minor and the symptoms can be as little as some muscle pain but in other cases, it can be more serious than that.

In this article, I’ll share some tips for effective workout injury prevention. These are general tips that apply to a variety of injuries and I won’t go into specific injuries. I’ll leave that for future articles.

Preparation and Warm Up

Before you rush in to the main part of your workout, whether it’s a cardio workout or a strength training session, take a few minutes and do a proper warm up. A lot of people neglect to warm up because it’s boring and they don’t really think that they need it. This is a huge mistake. Putting too much sudden strain on cold muscles increases the risk of injury. It’s better to take a few extra minutes of your time and warm up.

During your warm up make sure to move the muscle groups you’re about to train and to simulate the exercises you’re about to do. This will get the muscles ready for the weight you will load them with.

Work With Proper Form

When you lift weights or do any other form of exercise, remember that form and technique are key. You want to be safe? Pay attention to what you’re doing. Learn how to do each exercise and do it carefully and with focus. Don’t look for shortcuts just to lift heavier. Do each exercise correctly to remain safe.

Increase Intensity gradually

I’m all for making your workouts intensive and challenging. However, there’s a time and place for everything. You can’t be hasty when it comes to placing greater load on yourself. Your muscles may not be up for it at the moment.

You have to increase intensity gradually and be patient. Don’t let the ability of other people influence you. They may be training for many years and have worked hard to get to their current ability. Even fat loss plans such as the 1000 Calorie Challenge that are focused on doing super-intensive exercises teach you how to gradually build your stamina. It takes time and it’s the safe way to train.

The same can be said for the number of workouts you do each week. You can’t go from no training to working out 5 – 6 times a week at the gym. It’s simply not wise. Too drastic by far and an invitation for trouble. Give your body time to adapt to greater intensity and you will get to where you want to be.

Wear comfortable shoes

Your shoes are probably your first line of defense against workout injuries. They help to hold your ankle in place, reduce shock from jumping or running, and give you support. Don’t save on shoes. Get good ones. However, don’t buy shoes for how they look. This is of secondary importance. But comfortable shoes that are right for the kind of sport you’re doing and ones that are of high quality.

Run and Jump on Proper Surfaces

Running or jumping on hard surfaces such as asphalt or concrete increases your risk of injury. The shocks that pass through your body with each bounce or jump are great. It’s much better to do jumping exercises or running workouts on software surfaces such as grass, packed dirt, or an exercise mat. Similar to your shoes, a soft surface will cushion your body from the shock of each bounce or step.

Listen to your body

My last workout injury prevention tip is to listen to your body. Don’t disregard pain or discomfort. Your body is giving you a signal that there is something wrong. In case of pain it’s alright to take some time off and rest and you should see a doctor if the pain persists or is intense. Trying to work against your body is a recipe for disaster. Don’t go down that road.

A Note About Stretching

I used to think that stretching helps to reduce risk of injury but, I later learned that this is not the case. Studies have shown that stretching doesn’t prevent injury except in very specific cases. A correct workout routine is much more important.