Many of us are busy in lifting weights on an everyday basis, though a lot of people often ignore to understand how an injury can affect their progress. The major hindrance you can experience is an injury. While it’s difficult to avoid injuries persistently, you can always take precautionary measures to minimize the chance of any wound during your workout session. Let’s jump into some of the most important precautions you should take if you really don’t want to meet an injury doctor.
1 Have a Routine Physical
It’s a great idea to consult a doctor for a fitness test prior to stepping into your exercise program. A whole new activity can exert pressure on your body, mostly your joints and circulatory system. For instance, in a 10-minute treadmill test, you can figure out the limitations so it doesn’t put a lot of pressure on your body that can affect your cardiovascular system.
2 Get a Personal Trainer
If you are doubtful from where to start, finding a personal trainer will help you get started safely. A professional fitness instructor offers you a well-structured fitness plan and set goals from weight loss to enhance aerobic fitness. A competent trainer helps you avoid several bad lifestyles that can affect your workout routine. They allow you to concentrate on your fitness regime to achieve the best possible outcomes.
3 Start Slowly and Increase Gradually
If you have recently started, chances are you will throw yourself into training with an intensity that is simply unmaintainable for you in the long term. A good option is to start with the moderate exercise of around 20-25 minutes weekly and progressively build up your baseline. If you are unsure about your baseline intensity level, you can use a system known as perceived exertion scale which measures your physical response to exercise.
4 Warm Up Before Exercise
It’s surprising to see how many people jump straight into weight training or a treadmill run without even thinking of getting their muscles warmed up. No matter if you are in good physical condition, your muscles and ligaments will be tight as soon as you arrive at the gym. If you don’t warm up your body, you will perhaps risk a strain even if you unintentionally overstretch or kink a joint in a wrong way. A proper warm-up session will certainly prevent this. All you need to do is slowly work on your muscles, do a little stretching or lifting low weights to prepare your body for a hardcore workout.
5 Neglecting to Cool-Down
Undervaluing the significance of cool-down might be responsible for many injuries. When your muscles are utterly warm, they are bloated with nutrients and blood, and most prominently, they are key targets for stationary stretching. It’s a common observation that many people perform stationary stretching before their workouts, they are highly mistaken. Motionless stretching before a workout can affect your muscle strength and perhaps cause a serious injury. On the other hand, the right time for static stretch is after a workout. You must keep in mind the value of static stretching since it can significantly help you speed up recovery and return your muscles back to their natural length. You might be familiar with the fact that training your muscles under resistance can contract and shorten them. Therefore, to bring back the balance of your body, you need to perform static stretching. We would prefer you to do it as soon as your workout session ends.
6 Dress for Your Sport
Many injuries occur because of the absence of right equipment such as clothes and shoes that you must be wearing. Regardless of the activities, you are engaged in, make sure you are equipped with suitable clothing and footwear for the exercise. For instance, you will find many shorts that are padded and designed to absorb sweat. Though you don’t have to spend a fortune to get an expensive brand. Look for something that provides sufficient protection against strain or overheating. If you are doubtful when picking the right clothes, you can consult your trainer to get in the right direction.