The New Year usually comes with the resolution to get our bodies moving with a fitness routine. Depending on your fitness level, pushing your body to its limits can carry the risk of injury. Keep your body fully functional with the three Ps: preparation, precaution, and prehabilitation, which involves treating injuries before they occur.
Research shows that regular stretching produces enhanced range of motion, reduced risk of injury – and the degree of injury if injury occurs. Regular stretching also can significantly reduce lower back pain.
Though muscles are elastic, when a muscle is powerfully contracted or stretched beyond its comfortable range, a strain or tear can occur. For instance, jogging can sometimes lead to plantar fasciitis, a strain of the connective band that maintains the longitudinal arch on the base of the foot, which is stretched basically every time the foot bears weight. This typically is caused by running on hard surfaces and manifests itself as a dull ache, usually when you wake up in the morning. It will be necessary to reduce your weekly mileage. It’s also wise to choose running shoes with good arch support and even consider using orthotics.
Although injury can be difficult to precisely diagnose and treat, simple measures such as good flexibility, balanced muscle development, good choice of footwear and gradual progression of intensity have all been proven to reduce this risk. The following are some tactics to arm yourself with the knowledge to avoid injury in the first place:
- By adequately warming up, you will not only heat your muscles and, therefore, render them more malleable and less likely to tear under stretch, but you also will pump more synovial fluid into your joints, leading to less friction as you move.
- The most common gym injuries are related to poor technique. Be aware of your alignment, ensuring your movement patterns feel natural, and follow the biomechanics of your body.
- Remaining focused will allow you to observe your mental checklist before and during every exercise within your workout, ensuring you are engaging the right muscles at the right time.
- By not giving your body enough time to sufficiently recover – by overtraining – you might head into your next workout before your stores of essential fuels have been replenished. Without adequate supply, your regular workouts will be much more stressful.
- Think about tempo. Unless specifically training for power, resistance exercises should be
performed slowly to allow you to control momentum and, therefore, range of motion.
Core stability will lend greater support to your spine during movement, reducing the risk of multidirectional forces causing trauma to the spinal structure.
By Julia Kibble, physician assistant in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery
