PREVENTING EXERCISE-RELATED INJURIES

 PREVENTING EXERCISE-RELATED INJURIES

 PREVENTING EXERCISE-RELATED INJURIES

One of the biggest reasons why people give up on their exercise programs is that
they try to do too much too quickly, and they injure themselves in the process.
Following these tips will help you prevent injuries:
• Get the right equipment. If you’re running or walking, for example, good
shoes are essential for protecting your knees and other joints. Wear a helmet,
groin cup, goggles, or whatever is necessary to minimize injury.
• Warm up for five to 10 minutes before you start your workout. This can be
anything from a brisk walk and a few jumping jacks to running a mile at a
slow pace. After you’ve warmed up, do some stretching. Warm muscles are
less likely to get strained or injured.
• Cool down after your workout. Muscles often tighten up after exercise, so
doing some light stretching will keep you limber and reduce the chance of
i n j u ry.
• Whenever you lift anything, bend your knees and use your legs, not your
b a c k .
• Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workouts.
• Va ry your routine. Boredom can make you pay less attention to safety.
• Listen to your body. Forget “no pain, no gain.” If you feel pain, or experience
dizziness, tightening in your chest, or anything else that doesn’t seem right,
stop what you’re doing immediately.
• Set reasonable, achievable goals. If you haven’t exercised in a few years,
d o n ’t expect to get out there and perform as well as you did in high school.
Ease into it, and be patient with yourself.

TREATING INJURIES

Of course, despite your best efforts, injuries sometimes happen. So if you strain,
pull or irritate something, remember RICE:
• R E S T. Stop exercising. Don’t “play through” your injuries.
• ICE. Put an ice pack on the injured area for 20 minutes out of each hour
for the first day or two after the injury.
• COMPRESSION. Wrap the injured area in an Ace bandage.
• E L E VAT I O N . Try to keep the injured area higher than your heart so that
blood won’t pool there.
In addition, you can take over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen
to reduce the swelling.
After 24 to 48 hours of following the RICE routine, gently stretch the injured
area. Stop before it becomes painful.