Tuesday, April 23, 2013

How to Injury Proof Your Workout


How to Injury Proof Your Workout

At the gym, if you are not careful, there are chances you could hurt yourself. 

All it takes is that little extra pressure, strain on the muscles or a wandering mind to cause a mishap. Keep these tips in mind to make sure you remain injury free during your workouts.


Warm up
Warming is a great way of loosening the joints, stretching your muscles and getting your body ready for a nice long workout. If you start aggressive exercises without warming up, you risk pulling a muscle or hurting yourself. Begin your routine with some stretches, squats and some time on the treadmill. With a few push ups and pull ups you are now ready to take on heavier exercises.


Wear the right attire
A lot of people take their fitness attire for granted and wear pretty much anything they want at the gym. Make sure you get yourself a tracksuit with a snug fitting pair of trainers. Avoid any loose clothing that could interfere with the training equipment causing an injury. If your fitness regimen involves weights, wear gloves for a better grip.


Don’t take on more than you should
In order to increase your stamina or gain mass you need to increase the weight on the various exercises you do. Sometimes there is a tendency to get a little carried away and add on more kilos on the barbell than you should. If you push yourself beyond the limit that your body permits, you can have some serious damage caused to you. Remember that any injury caused to muscles or ligaments take a long time to heal, keeping you out of action possibly for months. Make sure you increase the weights in an incremental manner and not haphazardly.


Carry an energy supplement
Your body loses salts really fast when you work out. If these are not replenished you become dehydrated and weak, making you prone to injury. Sports or energy drinks are handy to have around. A few sips in between exercises will help keep the hydration levels right.


Have a workout partner
Working out with a buddy is another great way to prevent injury. Since the two of you will follow a similar routine, you can help each other out especially when it comes to lifting heavy weights. If at any point you feel that any pain or need immediate assistance your buddy is right there to help.


Always consult with a trainer
Your fitness regime should ideally be a well-planned process that involves a series of changes to your routine that will help you develop strength and stamina over a period of time. Make sure your trainer is kept in the loop so that you get the best out of the program. Also, if you there is any doubt about how a particular exercise is done, it is better to have the trainer help you out. Getting the right results depends on form and doing the exercise right, so don’t risk injury doing it wrong.


Cool down
After a long strenuous workout, the body gets heated up. It is important to cool off slowly and not abruptly as it could cause damage to the muscles. Once you are done, stretch or take a short walk on the treadmill until your muscles are relaxed.


Body massage
Workouts can sometimes cause your muscles to get stiff, especially the next day. Get a massage once in a while to loosen those stiff muscles and increase the blood circulation.
Gymming, if not done the right way, can turn harmful for you. In order to get positive results from your workout, you must follow the above steps.



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