Some people eagerly hit the trail to a new exercise program only to get sidetracked shortly because of an injury. Unfortunately, their active and healthy lifestyle gets disrupted and even slowed down permanently.
While exercise injuries can’t be predicted, you can still prevent them from happening as long as you’re observing the right precautions. It’s crucial to learn more about the factors contributing to exercise injury risk.
Factors Increasing Injury Risk
Exercising should be fun, muscle-pumping, exciting, and tiring at best. It'll make you feel sore and hungry—but pain because of an injury? It doesn't seem like a good workout, after all.
To prevent potential injuries, you need to recognize the factors contributing to them happening. Some of these include:
1. Improper Nutrition
Nutrition plays a vital role in making sure your body can tolerate exercise routines. Not eating a balanced diet leads to not getting the right nutrients you need for energy.
Carbohydrates are fast-acting nutrients that aren’t only a primary source of energy but also help in replenishing muscle glycogen stores. Glycogen serves as a storage form of carbohydrates and glucose. When the body has used all the available energy while you exercise, it’s the glycogen that works as a critical energy source.
Protein, on the other hand, is critical after exercising because it helps in repairing the muscles you just broke down from your workout. If you plan on taking your routines to a higher level, make sure to pay attention to what you’re eating. You can also consider consulting Sports Nutrition Resource and others to help you better understand which food to eat, so you’ll remain energized and healthy for your exercises.
2. Not Getting Enough Hydration
Water is just as important as the food you eat. Staying hydrated is very important to make sure the body can replace the loss of fluids due to sweating. An hour of exercise is equivalent to losing more than a quarter of water in the body.
When not properly hydrated, your muscles get tired easily and eventually lose coordination. Also, dehydration results in a lack of energy and muscle cramps.
3. Having No Coach Or Personal Trainer
You may think you already know what to do when exercising, so you decided to teach yourself as you do your routines. It may work for others who already have prior knowledge about exercising, but first-timers must be careful especially if they have no idea which exercise program is ideal for them.
It’s highly recommended you get a coach or a personal trainer who can guide you through your workout program. Not only will they give you specific routines to follow, but they can also give you safety tips you can do to avoid any potential injuries while exercising.
4. Not Warming Up Before Exercising
Warming up is a basic principle when exercising. But still, some people tend to forget about its importance. Warming up increases the temperature of the body, keeping your muscles from getting cold.
You can’t have cold muscles when exercising because it can negatively affect the blood flow in the body. Going straight to exercising without any warm-up can lead to muscle tears that are painful and could take a long time to heal.
5. Over-Training Or Over-Exercising
Working out can get addicting for some people, especially when they’re trying to achieve a fitness goal. You may think it’s rewarding in the end, but over-training or over-exercising can lead to exercise injuries.
Listen to your body and pay attention to any signals it might be giving you. Only you can tell when your muscles are too strained because of intense workouts. Resting isn’t optional—your body needs it to recover from stress, muscle soreness, and loss of energy.
6. Improper Use Of Equipment
If you’re exercising in a gym and you’re not familiar with the equipment, don’t hesitate to ask. Even when you don’t have a coach or personal trainer, there should be a gym staff roaming around as you use the facility.
Be extra careful when lifting heavy weights or anything that involves strenuous stretching of arms or legs. One wrong move and you can break or tear your muscles. If it’s your first time, you can try basic exercises first and then gradually increase the intensity as you familiarize yourself with the equipment around you.
7. Not Wearing Proper Workout Attire
What you wear while exercising can also greatly affect your performance. Wearing improper workout attire is required to lessen the risk of exercise injuries. Aside from wearing safety gear such as knee pads, you should also use the right kind of shoes to wear for your training.
Clothes should be made from comfortable and durable fabrics. Your training shoes need to be in perfect fit or else, they might get loose as you move around. When that happens, you're exposed to a greater risk of being injured such as slipping or getting stuck in some gym equipment.
8. Not Minding Any Existing Health Conditions
You’re exercising to stay fit and healthy, not to cause additional strain to any existing health conditions you may have. Be sure you consult with your doctor first before engaging in any form of exercise, particularly if you have an illness or medical condition that can get in the way.
Safety First
Exercising can be a good outlet if you want to do something productive in your free time. Since exercise allows your body to release endorphins, also known as happy hormones. Once you get started, you’ll feel the surge in your body. Before you know it, you can no longer let a week pass without your workout routines.
Don’t be afraid of pain. Instead, grab the opportunity to work on your fitness and lifestyle goals. Just remember the list above, so you’ll know what to avoid to minimize the risk of getting injured whenever you exercise.
Now that you know what factors can contribute to exercise injury risk, learn from them, so you can ensure a safe and energizing workout each time.
