General Adult Health Information
Preventing Injuries During Exercise
This information is about preventing injury while exercising. By following these guidelines, you can enjoy all of the fun and fitness benefits of a safe but vigorous exercise program.
First, begin your exercise with a five-minute warm-up period such as slow walking or easy-paced bike riding. A slow gentle warm-up is a lot more effective than stretching in preventing injury to your muscles.
Stretching is important to maintain flexibility, but it's best to stretch at the end of your warm-up period. Even stretching can injure your muscles and tendons if done too vigorously when you're still cold. Another point to remember about stretching is that it should be static. This means you should hold the stretched position for at least 10 to 20 seconds before repeating or advancing the stretch. Never use a bouncing type of stretching, such as quick repeated toe touching, because it can cause injury.
Cooling-down with slow activity for five minutes at the end of your exercise period is important for your heart and for your muscles and tendons. Stopping exercise abruptly will release a large amount of adrenaline-like hormones in your body, which can cause a sudden stress to your heart. Continue to walk slowly after completing your run, or cycle slowly for 5 minutes at the end of your ride. A proper cool-down will also rid the muscles of lactic acid, which is built up during exercise. This will help prevent muscle stiffness and soreness following exercise.
Good foot protection is well worth the investment. If you need to buy new shoes, they should provide adequate arch support, some firmness or stiffness to the part of the shoe behind the heel, and padding behind the heel to prevent friction against the Achilles tendon and heel bone. Also, there should be enough thickness to the sole of the shoe to absorb shock well and minimize the pounding to your joints.
Variety is important. Use more than one kind of exercise to avoid constantly using your muscles or joints in the same way each time. If you like to swim regularly, alternate occasionally with biking, walking or even vigorous low-impact dancing.
If your only chance to exercise regularly is in the evening, make sure you exercise cautiously. Runners should use a lighted track whenever possible. Runners, walkers, cyclists and skaters who do use the streets should use florescent patches on their clothing and equipment and obey the rules of the road. An exercise partner provides safety as well as company if you exercise outdoors at night.
Be aware of what's happening around you. Walkmans may be dangerous because they drown out any noise or warnings that keep us alert to danger.
Finally, the guiding principle for injury prevention is to listen to your body. You don't need to have pain to gain in fitness. Rest when you're tired. You may have chosen an activity that doesn't match your current level of fitness or your skill level. Allow yourself time and training to gradually improve.
Although a modest amount of muscle soreness is acceptable, pain in or near the joints is never a good sign. Most joint pain can be given home treatment following the guidelines. But sharp pain, or pain in the joints or tendons that does not improve within three days of rest, should be checked out by your healthcare provider.
Remember, approach exercise not only with commitment, but with caution. If you exercise to get fit and have fun, not to prove how invincible you are, you'll be taking the right steps toward a long and healthy life.
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