Being active is one of the best things you can do to keep your body healthy. People increasingly realize the importance of exercising, with children participating in sports activities more often than ever. With increased participation in sports activities, overuse injuries have become common.
Athletes, dancers, musicians, and anyone who participates in activities involving repeated movements experience overuse injuries. This can cause muscle strain, shin splints, stress fractures, and tendonitis. The good news is that you can avoid these injuries with a few tips. If you have already acquired a medical condition, visit Sheppard Physiotherapy clinic.
Tips to avoid overuse injuries
- Not setting realistic goals.
If you are starting to work out for the first time or after a long time, or participating in a new activity, use your common sense and set realistic goals for yourself. For example, if you are just starting to run in the morning, do not run more than 45 miles per week. Overdoing yourself from the very beginning will only ruin things in the long run.
- Warm-up, cool down.
You must have seen people on television and in real life doing warm-up exercises before beginning their proper workout. This is because muscles that receive some warm-up are less prone to overuse injuries.
The warm-up does not have to be complex or take a lot of time. You can simply jog for a few minutes and stretch, and you are good to go. Remember to repeat your warm-up exercises after your activity as well.
- Use proper form and gear.
When you are beginning an exercise or starting an activity for the first time, such as a sport, you must know the correct techniques and wear proper equipment. You should also consider taking a few lessons or getting training to avoid injuries.
- Increase intensity gradually.
As mentioned in the points above, you should gradually increase your activity’s intensity instead of trying to do it all at once. For example, in the case of running, do not increase the number of miles by more than 10 percent every week. Do not do the same amount of workouts every day. If you do hard training on Monday, consider lowering the intensity on Tuesday.
- Rest.
Your body needs to recover from an activity, especially if you are doing it for the first time or after a long time. While a little pain is normal after all types of exercises, giving yourself breaks and rest afterward is important. Do not overdo it and listen to your body.