Avoiding Injury
Tight muscles. Waning body temperature. Sluggish blood flow. Sound
like a set-up for injury? You're right. Regardless of your personal
workout choice, one truth applies to everyone: Preparation can
prevent injury.
Many common exercise
injuries stem from overlooking two basics: warm-up and stretching.
Take a closer look...
Warm-up:
Before you get started, your blood flow is not what it's going to
be. If you're exercising in the morning, blood flow and body
temperature are at their daily low. The idea of a warm-up is to
swing your body into gear gradually -- not suddenly. A good warm-up
consists of slow, deliberate, rhythmic movements -- such as very
light bend-and-back movements for waist, arms, legs, and more. Keep
it up for five minutes to increase your blood flow gradually. This
is called warm-up because it actually makes your muscles warm!
Stretch:
After the warm-up, stretch. Why not first? A warm muscle stretches
better than a cold one. Like the warm-up, this session should be
lightly paced. Focus on each group of muscles you will use in your
workout -- head, neck, back, arms, shoulders, pelvis, upper legs,
lower legs, and feet. You need to loosen up muscles, and focus on
range of motion.
A good stretch
lengthens muscle fibers. Long, loose fibers are less vulnerable to
injury during exercise. For specific stretches targeted for your
activity, consult your trainer, coach, or exercise specialist.
Six rules that make
stretching really work:
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1 Relax. New research shows that people with little
flexibility can be very limber when they're under anesthesia. Now,
some scientists believe that total relaxation may help people loosen
up under normal conditions. Use any technique that helps you relax,
such as visualization or background music.
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2 Go slowly: Adequate stretching takes time and does not come
from fast movements or rushed sessions.
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3 Think static: If you were ever advised to bounce when you
stretch, erase the memory. Today, experts agree that
stretch-and-hold is the right approach. A hold should be at least 30
seconds.
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4 No pain: When you're deciding how far to reach, remember
that pain is not healthy. Stop at the point that's just before pain.
If it hurts, back off a notch. Try to go a tiny bit further
tomorrow.
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5 Stretch daily: Even if you don't do your workout every day,
take a few minutes to warm-up and stretch. Daily attention helps you
stay limber.
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6 Stretch again: During your workout, it's OK to stop and
stretch again, when your muscles are even warmer. A good time: when
you're shifting from one muscle group to another, or one activity to
another.
If you're starting a
new routine or joining forces with a new exercise machine, devote
extra attention to your stretch. This may be a time when you're most
prone to injury, because you may use a muscle differently -- or more
intensively.
Finally, don't
abuse your muscles. Over-aggressive stretching can actually
bring on microtrauma, which is a tiny amount of tissue damage.
Pushing your workout too hard or too fast can do the same thing. The
problem with microtrauma is that it tends to keep happening. You may
not be aware of the ongoing process until finally, you experience
full-blown injury.
To avoid microtrauma,
follow the stretching rules above. And limit your increases in
training time and intensity to about 10% per week. Finally, if you
experience minor pains or soreness during or after exercise, don't
ignore them. Back off, and consult your medical practitioner.
Clearly, exercise
injury is proof of what Mom always told you: Prevention is easier
than cure. And prevention can be as simple as common-sense
preparation and listening to your body.
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