Tips From Remuera Physios On Staying Clear Of Injury During Exercise

For anyone intent on improving their fitness levels, injuries can derail the best of intentions and break your exercise habits. The best way to keep on track with your exercise goals is to remain injury-free. Here are a few exercise tips for newbies to prevent strains and sprains when working out.

1. Check The Level Or Intensity Of Your Workout

You may want to get results quickly, but there’s a risk to undertaking too high-intensity training too quickly. This is especially important advice for beginners. There’s a greater risk of an injury when moving from low-intensity activities to high-intensity activities. It’s wise to be aware of one’s limits, and it’s recommended that anyone embarking on an exercise programme have one developed especially for them by a professional trainer or physiotherapist. Knowing why you’re exercising is also key to a more effective workout. If your goal is to enhance overall health, then progressing at a slower pace is more ideal.

2. Understand That All Forms Of Activity Have An Impact On The Body

It may come as a surprise to some, but even a sedate activity such as walking can take its toll especially if there’s a big jump in duration – such as moving from walking around a shopping centre to a rigorous five-kilometre walk. For those just starting to improve their functional fitness, a low-impact type of training such as swimming or cycling may be better.

3. Consider The Form Of Exercise Carefully

It’s ideal to choose a form of activity that you’re comfortable with and one that your body can handle. This means beginners have to find the perfect line between balance (what your body can handle) and complexity. While boot camps do produce results, these have been known to cause injuries for those who haven’t exercised in a long time.

4. Start Slowly And Build Gradually

Normal progression is critical if beginners want to keep injuries at bay and remain positive and motivated towards their fitness goals.  A good rule of thumb is an increase in distance or duration of your exercise of 10% every 1-2 weeks. Starting slowly, monitoring its impact on your body and move towards higher intensity activities or increase the distances covered slowly for better chances of success. Beginners can research what the normal progression is for their chosen form of exercise and use this as a guideline.

If you’ve decided to start an exercise programme and want more tips on how to exercise safely, schedule a consultation with Cairnhill Physiotherapy at our Remuera physio clinic today.