If you are serious about exercising, just getting started, or even thinking about going to the gym, there are a few things that you need to know before you take another step. Exercise related injuries send thousands to the doctor and even emergency rooms every year and the sad truth is, most of them could have been avoided. Are you setting yourself up for an injury? See if any of these common trouble signs apply to you.
1. Stretching is for sissies –
One of the absolute best ways to guarantee an injury is by refusing to stretch. There is absolutely no reason that anyone should not stretch, even if you will only be exercising for a few minutes. Those five to ten minutes you spend stretching and warming up will pay off time and time again. You can look at this way – 10 minutes stretching versus six months laid up with an injury. Which would you rather choose?
2. I need to feel the burn –
There is a fine line between reaching that optimum fat burning zone and the actual burn or more commonly known as “Ow, ow, this really hurts.” Bottom line – if it hurts, you are either doing the exercise wrong, or you are doing it too hard. If there was one term that all exercisers could do without it would be this one. Focus instead on reaching your target heart rate and forget about the burn.
3. Of course I’m strong enough to do 50 reps –
It happens to the best of us. Our pride gets in the way of common sense, and we won’t admit that those 50 reps are near killing us. Overexertion is a great way to end up in the hospital and get out of exercising for a few months, but few of us want to go down that road. It’s painful, it’s expensive and it’s counterproductive. Realizing your own limits and then gradually increasing them is by far the better solution.
4. That machine looks fun –I think I’ll try that –
Using machines that are you are not familiar with is a great way to get injured. If you don’t know how to use a machine, you need to ask for help. It is all too easy to either seriously injure yourself or at the very least come up with a few strained muscles. Never tackle any new equipment that you do not know how to use.
5. I don’t need no stinking cool down –
Well, actually, we all do. Top athletes know that cooling down can be just as important as warming up. If you are not giving yourself at least five to ten minutes recovery time at the end of your workout, you will most likely regret it either later that night or the next day. Always add a cool down into your routine to avoid this problem.
Anyone can be injured exercising, but if you stop setting yourself up for an injury, you’ll be able to avoid it.
Photo Credit: 1
Originally posted 2008-09-01 05:36:25. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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1 comment so far ↓
The stretching thing again?
It’s a myth, or at least an exaggeration. Loads of people never stretch, either before or after workouts, notably many long-distance runners. Dean Karnazes *never* stretches, and he runs thousands of miles a year, has won many major races (Badwater, Vermont etc) and knocked off 50 marathons over 50 consecutive days and has ran 300 miles consecutively.
The fact is that when it comes to stretching there are no facts - if *you* feel or perform better when you stretch, then stretch. But to say you *have* to stretch or you will be injured is a falsehood. Indeed, many experts suggest stretching prior to exercise is potentially risky as you’re putting cold muscles (ironically) under excessive stress.
I personally don’t stretch, and never have, and I’ve never had any problems, nor have I ever had even one instance of cramp or anything like that. And as I find myself a week away from logging 100 days of running in a row, that counts for something, I think.
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