With the warmer weather and approaching holidays, now is a great time to exercise, become more active and have a healthy lifestyle. We have four tips to do this without the pain from injury.
1. Choose the right footwear
The correct footwear can go a long way in protecting your feet and ankles from injury and can even prevent serious accidents such as falls. Every activity places different demands on your body and tailoring your footwear to suit these stressors is a great strategy for preventing injuries. For example, basketball players often wear shoes with support that extends above the ankles to help protect against ankle sprains, while hikers require thick and supportive soles to cushion and protect their feet. If you like to run, the correct shoe for your foot type is very important to minimise the chance of leg injuries, such as shin splints. Wearing shoes that are too large or have poor grip can lead to slips and falls, particularly when exercising outdoors.
2. Pace yourself
When you start to see improvements in your fitness and strength, it can be tempting to push your limits to see just how far you can go. The danger in this is that often your tissues are still adapting to the increased demands of your new exercise regime. Increasing your weights, training time or running distances by too much too soon can lead to major setbacks. Give your body time to adjust and progress in a slow and steady manner.
3. Check your form and posture
Checking your posture in the middle of a workout is probably the last thing on your mind. However, poor form is a leading cause of injury in athletes. Lifting heavy weights when your spine is not in its optimal position causes many low back injuries. Taking a second to check your posture before starting a lift is highly recommended.
4. Seek professional advice
Coaches and trainers are able to help you spot vulnerabilities and share their knowledge, helping you get the most out of your chosen activity. Often it is easier to prevent bad habits from forming than it is to break them once they are already in place. Invest in the advice of an expert; they can help you to avoid injuries as well as reach your peak performance.
Call us if you have any concerns with either starting an exercise program or if you are experiencing some problems whilst exercising or training. We can assess you for any biomechanical vulnerabilities, tight and/or weak muscles and can help guide you through your recovery if you have an injury. We can also advise you on the appropriate footwear for your sport and foot type.