Avoid injuries in the New Year

16 Jan 2012

Avoid injuries in the New Year

Firstly, congratulations for all of you that have managed to incorporate regular exercise into your, new healthy lifestyle this New Year. However, exercising can sometimes be risky, especially if you have not worked out in a while. 

Prevention is better than cure!

Londonbased sports injury physiotherapist Mark Harrison is adamant about two things; ‘Prevention is better than cure and doing some exercise even though there may be risk of injury is far preferable to a sedentary lifestyle’.

Every sport has its hazards

So often people fail to givethemselves enough time to train for an event, or even in general terms push themselves too quickly in their training program. It’s far kinder on the body, and far more effective long-term, to build up gradually.

It’s important to know how to keep yourself safe, and avoid potential problems before they happen. The following information should help you to do exactly that.

 Here are some top tips for avoiding sports injuries

1. Warm-up– Take it slow, the warm up is the most important part of any workout. A proper gradual warm up goes a long way to avoid injury. 
2. Cool down– This is just as important as the warm up. After working out, make sure you do at least 5-10 minutes of gentle exercising, such as walking, to return your heart to its normal pace.
3. Stretching- Stretching before and after exercise allows the body to gently pull on all the muscles that will be used, or have been used, decreasing the chance of tearing and injury.
4. Focus on technique– Just as important as exercising is exercising correctly. It is essential that you learn the correct technique for your chosen discipline. For example, the correct body alignment and posture will decrease the amount unnecessary stress placed on muscles and joints, and will ensure that you specifically work the muscle group being targeted.
5. Get the correct sports gear – This includes using appropriate safety equipment for your sport, choosing proper footwear, replacing running shoes as needed and wearing clothing that dries sweat away and helps to keep your cool and dry.
6. Rest between training– Working out for too long and too frequently can lead to something called overtraining syndrome, which could possibly reduce your immunity. 
7. Avoid doing too much too soon – The most common cause of injury is overuse – This injury, is the result of wear and tear on the body, particularly joints subjected to repeated activity.
8. The importance of good nutrition - Exercise is a crucial element in keeping ourselves healthy. However, during exercise, extra demands and stresses are placed upon the body compared to when it is at rest. The amount of nutrients and fuel required are far in excess of what is required at rest and they are used up much more quickly.
9. Cross train– Not only will cross training prevent workout boredom, but it will allow a variety of different muscles to be worked, rather than focusing on one particular area of your body. Strive to include aerobic exercise, strength training, stretching, and core stability and balance training elements in your routine.
10. When to stop (warning signs) – A certain amount of pain during exercise is normal and inevitable – After all, you are challenging your body to do more than it is accustomed to. Sore muscles after a vigorous workout are almost guaranteed. 

There are certain pains and other symptoms that occur during exercise can be warning signs that something is wrong. You should stop exercising straight away if you:

• Have pain or pressure in the left or middle part of your chest, or in the left side of your neck
• Feel sick or dizzy
• Break out in a cold sweat
• Have muscle cramps
• Feel sharp pain in your joints, feet, ankles or bones.

 It seems so basic, but experts say it’s often overlooked: One of the best ways to avoid fitness injuries is to know your body’s limitations.

Act your age

This is especially important when working out, be sensible, the end result is that you do too much, too quickly, for too long, with too much intensity – Injury is often the end result.

Follow these guidelines and continue to exercise safely and look forward to a happier healthier year.