How to Prevent Injuries While Exercising…This is Important Stuff!

Getting injured is a sure fire way to derail your health and fitness efforts.  When you begin an exercise routine of any kind after being sedentary, you are at an elevated risk of injury.  Boot Camp is no different.  Your body is not used to the demands you are placing on it.  It is very common for people to get injured while working out but this does not have to be the case for you.

Getting injured is the quickest way to become sedentary again while gaining back the weight you’ve lost…and then some.

Here is a list of things you can do to GREATLY reduce your risk of injury:

1.)   Proper warm-up-This means 5 minutes of light to moderate exercise to bring blood into the muscle.  Bringing blood into the muscle heats up the muscle making it more pliable for stretching and exercise.  Exercising or stretching a cold muscle is like putting a rubber band into the freezer for an hour then pulling it out and trying to bend it.  The rubber band would fray as will your muscles.  Fray…bad! (said in my best caveman voice).  You’ll notice we do this in every boot camp!
2.)    Stretching-Once you have properly warmed up you MUST stretch.  Stretching loosens the muscles making them even more pliable thus reducing the risk of injury.  You’ll notice we do this in every boot camp too!
3.)    Wear the proper shoes-By proper shoe I mean one that fits your foot correctly and is not too old.  An old deflated shoe or one that fits improperly can cause many issues including foot and ankle injuries and shin splints.  I recommend going to a store that specializes in fitting shoes for runners.
4.)    Proper form-When performing any exercise you must first know the proper form then execute the proper form.  That is easier said than done because you can’t see yourself while exercising unless you have a mirror.  At boot camp I watch form intently but even I can’t see everything : ).  Maintaining proper form is increasingly difficult the more fatigued you become.  When you begin to get tired, pay even closer attention to form.  Improper form will guarantee injury.  Exercising with proper form will actually help your results as well by working the muscles the exact way they were meant to be worked.
5.)    Listen to your body-When exercising be sure to listen to your body.  If you are doing something wrong your body will tell you.  If you feel a slight pull or strain or pain (other than normal muscle burn) stop what you are doing immediately.  A slight strain can become a major pain very quickly.
6.)    Maintain a tight core-When you are resistance training be sure to maintain a tight core.  You do this by tightening your ab muscles as if someone was about to punch you in the stomach.  This stabilizes the lower back which is one of the most common locations for injury.  Make this a habit whenever you are resistance training.  It’s that important.  By tightening your core you are working your abs constantly which is a good thing too.
7.)    Rest and Recovery-Getting proper rest is essential if you are going to prevent injury.  By resting your muscles you are allowing them to recover fully before working them again.  If you work to the same muscle group too close together the muscles can’t fully recover making them more vulnerable to injury.  You should rest 48 hours between workouts involving the same muscle group.  If you notice at boot camp we never work upper body or lower body 2 days in a row.  Eating properly also helps the muscles recover so…do that!

Pay very close attention to the tips above.  The last thing you want to do is build up momentum, lose some body fat, begin feeling great only to have it taken away by injury.