A 2014 study from the University of Rochester shows that 19.4 percent of in-door trainers are likely to suffer injuries. The risk is even higher in outdoor exercises at 79.3 percent.
Most of these injuries are from unavoidable accidents. But still, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself.
For instance, having the right attire and warming up before exercise helps your body to withstand extreme workouts.
What Causes Exercise Injuries?
- Failure to warm up and cool-down before and after exercise
- Not wearing the right exercising clothes
- Pushing your body too hard
- Engaging in strenuous exercises beyond your fitness level
- Failure to use the right equipment
- Not resting between workouts
Here are the preventative measures to prevent exercise injuries.
- Eat the Right Food
Do you know that eating the right food can help prevent exercise-related injuries? But that’s not all, it can also speed up the recovery process.
Remember, your diet creates the building blocks in your body structure. Here are the eating habits that prevent injuries:
- Eat enough: many people make the mistake of eating a small amount of food in a bid to lose weight. Well, this is counterproductive. If your body doesn’t get enough calories to maintain the energy needs, it starts to feed on your muscles.
- Eat After Training: studies show that exercise-related injuries are repaired within two hours after the exercise. Well, that’s provided you eat protein during this period.
- Take Supplements: supplements like beta-alanine helps in the production of carnosine. It acts as a buffer against lactic acid thus delaying the onset of muscle fatigue or failure.
- Warm-Up and Cool Down
Take time to warm up before engaging in the real exercise. Warming up helps the blood flow into the body, and prepares muscles to avoid injuries.
The best way to warm up is to exercise for a few minutes before picking up the pace. For instance, if you’re running, walking briskly for 10 minutes.
After the exercise, take time to cool down. The purpose is to bring your heart and body temperature to normal. You can do this by ending your routine at a slow pace for 10 minutes.
- Consult Your Doctor
Always visit your doctor for a routine checkup before starting any exercise program. The doctor will do a fitness test which will determine whether you’ll go on or not.
Remember, any new exercise has the potential to stress your joints and the cardiovascular system. The body should be healthy enough to deal with this stress.
- Get a Trainer
A trainer helps you structure a safe and healthy fitness plan. The plan should address your key goals like weight loss or muscle building.
As an expert, they’ll help you avoid bad habits that consume even the best athletes. The trainer is also equipped with first aid skills. As such, they can handle any emergency or accident that occurs while training before referring the case to medical experts.
- Vary Your Exercise Routine
Avoiding doing the same routine or exercises every day. Instead, mix up your week with different exercise routines.
Also, don’t undertake exercises that target the same body muscle daily. Incorporating change helps you target different muscles which reduce the strain on any single muscle. The result, reduced body injuries.
Conclusion
Exercising helps you to live a healthy and fulfilling life. However, there are chances that you may suffer injuries in the process. Take these measures to minimize your risk of suffering any injury.
