While getting regular exercise is vital to having a healthy body and a happy mental state, if you’re not careful, you can easily get injured while working out. Even things that may seem to be very safe exercises can become dangerous if you’re using improper form, haven’t warmed up as you should, or simply aren’t paying attention to what you’re doing.
To help you avoid injuries that could keep you from further exercising or could impact your daily life, here are three tips for protecting your body while working out.
Prepare Correctly
As was mentioned above, if you’re not properly prepared and warmed up before you start a workout, you increase the chances of getting hurt while performing whatever exercise you’re participating in.
There are some self-care practices, like yoga or tai chi, that will help get your body limber and flexible before an intense workout.
To help you prepare correctly, Elizabeth Quinn, a contributor to Very Well Fit, advises that you be sure to eat the right foods about two hours before you start working out so you have the energy to give your workout your all. Ideally, you should try to eat something that has a reasonable amount of carbohydrates so that you can get the extra energy from that food. Additionally, as you’re about to start working out, take some time to warm up by stretching, walking, or using small weights to do brief, easy movements of the muscles you plan to workout during your exercises.
Use The Right Gear
For whatever exercise you’re wanting to do, you should be sure that you have all the right gear to keep you safe before you start your workout.
According to WebMD.com, part of using the right gear means ensuring that the gear you’re using fits you correctly and isn’t so worn out that it can’t give you the protection that you need. For example, if you’re biking, make sure you wear a safe and comfortable helmet. For runners, you’ll need shoes that fit and feel good on your feet. And if you’re playing a sport, make sure you are using the proper equipment, like pads, guards, and more.
Plan To Cross Train
Although you might have a favorite type of exercise that you’d like to do each time you workout, doing this will put your body at greater risk for injury since you’ll be working out the same muscles without giving them the break they need to rest and recover.
A better option that you should try, according to Kristin Gustafson, a contributor to Active.com, is to cross train. Cross training is when you do different exercises throughout the week so that you’re working various muscle groups and giving other muscle groups a chance to recover before working them out again. Cross training can help you get a more well-rounded fitness regimen as well as protecting your body from injury.
To help ensure you’re able to keep your body healthy enough to continue working out, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how you can best protect your body.