Tips on Preventing Injury While Exercising
Exercising regularly is essential for good health. However, when done carelessly, it can cause serious injury. Therefore, it is important to take precautions before and while undergoing any physical activity.
Before embarking on a fitness program, have a sports medicine doctor give you a full check-up, especially if you have incurred a past injury or if you have a medical condition. He will indicate what exercises you can and should not do.
Next, consider cross-training with other physical activities to lessen the risk of overtraining, a major cause of injury. For example, if your fitness program involves bodybuilding during weekdays, run or swim during weekends. In addition, exercise at an intensity that is appropriate for your fitness level. If you train too hard or too fast, you will increase your chances of getting an injury. Do not forget to allot one or two rest days for recovery.
Before starting an exercise session, do some warm-ups. Warming up stretches your muscles and prepares your cardiovascular system for the session. Once you are done with your program, do some cool down exercises to reduce muscle soreness and stiffness and to bring back your heart rate to normal. Another important rule to remember is to drink lots of water, around one and a half litres for every hour of physical activity. That is because if you are dehydrated, you will get fatigued, making you more susceptible to cramps, heat stress, heat stroke, and injury.
Finally, you need to stop exercising and seek medical help if you experience prolonged discomfort, breathlessness, or erratic heartbeats. In addition, cease any physical activity if you feel pain in the chest, neck, jaw, or shoulder blades because these may be symptoms of an impending heart attack or illness.
