Avoiding
Injury
Avoiding
Injury
Tight
muscles. Waning body temperature. Sluggish
blood flow. Sound like a set-up for injury?
You're right. Regardless of your personal
workout choice, one truth applies to everyone:
Preparation can prevent injury.
Many
common exercise injuries stem from overlooking
two basics: warm-up and stretching. Take a
closer look...
Warm-up:
Before you get started, your blood flow is
not what it's going to be. If you're exercising
in the morning, blood flow and body temperature
are at their daily low. The idea of a warm-up
is to swing your body into gear gradually
-- not suddenly. A good warm-up consists of
slow, deliberate, rhythmic movements -- such
as very light bend-and-back movements for
waist, arms, legs, and more. Keep it up for
five minutes to increase your blood flow gradually.
This is called warm-up because it actually
makes your muscles warm!
Stretch:
After the warm-up, stretch. Why not first?
A warm muscle stretches better than a cold
one. Like the warm-up, this session should
be lightly paced. Focus on each group of muscles
you will use in your workout -- head, neck,
back, arms, shoulders, pelvis, upper legs,
lower legs, and feet. You need to loosen up
muscles, and focus on range of motion.
A
good stretch lengthens muscle fibers. Long,
loose fibers are less vulnerable to injury
during exercise. For specific stretches targeted
for your activity, consult your trainer, coach,
or exercise specialist.
Six
rules that make stretching really work:
-
Relax. New research shows that people with
little flexibility can be very limber when
they're under anesthesia. Now, some scientists
believe that total relaxation may help people
loosen up under normal conditions. Use any
technique that helps you relax, such as
visualization or background music.
-
Go slowly: Adequate stretching takes time
and does not come from fast movements or
rushed sessions.
-
Think static: If you were ever advised to
bounce when you stretch, erase the memory.
Today, experts agree that stretch-and-hold
is the right approach. A hold should be
at least 30 seconds.
-
No pain: When you're deciding how far to
reach, remember that pain is not healthy.
Stop at the point that's just before pain.
If it hurts, back off a notch. Try to go
a tiny bit further tomorrow.
-
Stretch daily: Even if you don't do your
workout every day, take a few minutes to
warm-up and stretch. Daily attention helps
you stay limber.
-
Stretch again: During your workout, it's
OK to stop and stretch again, when your
muscles are even warmer. A good time: when
you're shifting from one muscle group to
another, or one activity to another.
If
you're starting a new routine or joining forces
with a new exercise machine, devote extra attention
to your stretch. This may be a time when you're
most prone to injury, because you may use a
muscle differently -- or more intensively.
Finally,
don't abuse your muscles. Over-aggressive
stretching can actually bring on microtrauma,
which is a tiny amount of tissue damage. Pushing
your workout too hard or too fast can do the
same thing. The problem with microtrauma is
that it tends to keep happening. You may not
be aware of the ongoing process until finally,
you experience full-blown injury.
To
avoid microtrauma, follow the stretching rules
above. And limit your increases in training
time and intensity to about 10% per week. Finally,
if you experience minor pains or soreness during
or after exercise, don't ignore them. Back off,
and consult your medical practitioner.
Clearly,
exercise injury is proof of what Mom always
told you: Prevention is easier than cure. And
prevention can be as simple as common-sense
preparation and listening to your body.
