Top 4 Tips For Preventing Injuries
Whether you’re just starting out on your fitness path or you’ve been with us for a while, preventing injuries so you can continue to keep up on your fitness goals is important to us!
Here are my top 4 tips for preventing injury– you’ll be happy to know they aren’t too complex!
1. Warm up
- It helps your body get ready for more strenuous exercise.
- It safely increases your heart rate to get blood pumping oxygen to your muscles.
- It loosens your muscles and lubricates your joints
Even if you’re running a little late for class, grab a jump rope for a couple minutes or run a lap before joining in. This small step yields big results.
2. Mobilize
- “Mobilize” simply means to move your joints through their full range of motion
- Best done after your warming up
- Dynamic stretching prepares the body for physical exertion and performance
Lack of mobility is a HUGE culprit for injury. A combination of dynamic and static stretching can help you prevent injury.
If you’re a regular to any of my classes, you’re very familiar with my 1 minute joint mobilization routine!
3. Ease into It
- Gradually increase your intensity, duration and frequency
- If you are too sore to move after every workout, you aren’t easing into it
- As your endurance increases, you will be able to challenge yourself more
- Be patient!
When first starting a fitness program, it can take some serious mental willpower and humility to realize that, while in our minds we may still be a high school or college athlete, we need to give our bodies a chance to adapt to that mindset.
For most people, the first two-three weeks are all it takes before you find yourself really pushing it.
4. Cool down/Stretch
- Walk around while you allow your heart rate to drop
- Take deep breaths into your belly to slow your breathing down
- Stretch to increase flexibility and further your body’s cool down process
- Use static stretching to help elongate muscle fibers that are already warm and have been worked
For me, the cool down and post workout stretch is like giving your body closure after pushing it so hard during your workout.
It gives you time to switch gears and get out of the adrenaline spike you just went through.
Mentally, you can use this time to check in with your body and evaluate how you feel.
All four of these prevention tips are things that happen when you’re here at the gym.
Bringing awareness to them will hopefully get you more in tune with your workout and knowing the WHY will hopefully help you fully engage in each step.
If you every have any questions, please hit one of us up!
-Coach Hannah
