Avoid Injuries Exercising and Working Out

By Vic Smith 

Starting an exercise routine is a big step to improving your overall health and fitness. However don't turn a positive decision into a negative situation by suffering an injury caused by your workout. A severe injury can affect your daily life up to and including being able to do your job. Here are some tips to help you avoid injuries as you strive toward your fitness goals.

1 Do some warm ups before you begin. If you are going to the gym, running/jogging, riding a bike or starting a round of golf, gently stretch your leg, back and arm muscles to limber them up. It's also a good idea to have a cool down period when you finish to help prevent any muscles from tighten up. Especially if you haven't used them in a while.

2 Don't overdo whatever activity you have chosen. Start slow and increase your exercise or workout as you build up your endurance. Too much too soon and you will have those aches and pains the next day which may cause you to skip your next workout or quit altogether.

3 If you have invested in exercise equipment, read the manual and make sure you are using it correctly. Become familiar with all the resistance levels and again start slow. A trainer or coach can be a big help to getting the most out of your equipment.

4 Make sure you wear the proper clothing, especially footwear. Most injuries occur to the knees and ankles so wearing the proper shoes is important. Wearing the wrong clothing probably won't cause a physical injury but could create a rash or skin irritation. You want to allow for maximum freedom of movement when you exercise.

5 If you have suffered an injury, make sure it is fully healed before you start to work out again. The last thing you want to happen is to be re-injured and maybe have to succumb surgery or wind up wearing a brace.

We all can experience some muscle aches when we exercise, especially if we are just beginning a fitness program. When that happens we should be aware we have reached our endurance limit and not push any harder. We tend to think if we extend our work out a little longer and up the intensity we will reach our fitness goals quicker. The truth is, that will only increase your chances of an injury. If you wind up on the "disabled list", it will be harder to reach your fitness goals. Both physically and mentally.