Avoid getting laid up for days –or even weeks with an injury. Follow these 5 precautions when you workout. Don’t forget ,When it comes to working out, always listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, stop what you are doing and take it easy.
Proper equipment and attire
This goes without saying. Have the proper equipment that works correctly is necessary to not only get a great workout in but to prevent injury. Make sure all of your equipment is up to date and there are no missing parts, screws, or low on air balls. Also test out new equipment before doing a super heavy set.
The same is true for attire. The right clothes and shoes can help prevent injuries but also make your workout much more enjoyable. Comfort and being able to move is key. Too baggy of clothes can get caught in equipment or can cause you to trip. Having attire that doesn’t fit can cut off circulation, cause chafing or blisters, and give you other discomfort.
For more information about proper shoes check out THIS blog
A good warm up and cool down
Warming up will gradually get your body ready to workout and get a good sweat! Raising your body temperature slowly increases the blood flow to your muscles which will help prevent injuries as well as muscle soreness the next day.
Cooling down after a warm up is important because it helps the cardiovascular system slow down. Stopping a workout without a proper cool down (especially when doing cardio) can be dangerous for your health. It’s important to gradually slow down your heart rate to your resting heart rate at a steady pace during cool down. Failure to do so can result in light-headedness, dizziness, or fainting.
Myofascial Release (tissue massage)
Myofascial release treatment is referred as a deeper tissue massage. Sometimes, your chiropractor or massage therapist can give you myofascial release treatments. Although, foam rolling and using your own sports massage equipment is more common and more cost effective.
Myofasical release is important for muscles mobility and any minor pains in the body. The benefits of myofasical release include
- Reduce pain
- Release knots or trigger points
- improve muscle function
- Improve movement and flexibility
- Enhance circulation by breaking up the tight areas where blood flow may become restricted
- reduce exercise-related soreness
Stretching
This goes without saying. Benefits of stretching the body can help release tension, improve posture, improve flexility, and calm the mind. Stretching can also help reduce soreness but most importantly, flexibility will enable our muscles to work effectively. Stretching prevents injuries by helping your joins move through their full range of motion which is very important while exercising. Additionally, having proper posture will help prevent any injuries by holding our own body weight safely.
Rest
Sleep gives the body a chance to repair from the day or the workout. This is not only the time when our muscles grow but our muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and growth plates need rest between the day to prevent any injuries. Lack of sleep can make us experience more inflammation in the body which makes it more difficult to recover from an injury and also makes us more at risk of further injury. So rest those bodies!
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