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Things You Can Do to Prevent a Muscle Injury

5 Things You Can Do to Prevent a Muscle Injury

Whether you’ve stuck to a solid exercising routine for years or are just a beginner in a particular fitness program, injuries happen. Being active makes us more vulnerable to injuries. If this is dissuading you from committing to an active lifestyle – don’t let it. With proper techniques and a decent support system, you will bounce back stronger and live to tell the tale.

Common Workout Injuries

Athletes and active people hurt themselves in all kinds of ways when they train. Common workout injuries include:

Preventing a Muscle Injury

Earn the Right to Go Harder

Your workouts should be tailored to your fitness level and unique lifestyle. Don’t overtrain and pay attention to your techniques. One common mistake is to neglect leg workouts, which increases the risk of back injury. If you’re trying a new exercise, consider watching someone do it first and let them guide you the first couple of times.

Drink Plenty of Water

You lose an insane amount of fluid when you work out. That’s why drinking a lot of water is imperative for the replacement of those lost fluids. These fluids allow for better muscle function and reduce the risk of heat stress. Thirst is a sign that you’re already dehydrated. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water. Stay away from fruit drinks; they linger in your stomach and will force your pancreas into overdrive, making it dump insulin into your bloodstream.

Drink caffeinated drinks in moderation (coffee and energy drinks). These stimulant drinks can accelerate dehydration and can cause stomach cramps.

Stretch Daily

Flexible muscles are less prone to injuries than stiff muscles. Incorporate stretching into your daily exercise routine to loosen your muscles and keep them flexible. Stretching also increases your range of motion by keeping the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy.

Don't Miss a Warm-up

Warming up allows your body to acclimate to the physical exertion you’re about to subject it to and helps increase blood circulation as well as flexibility. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been working out for years; include warm-up exercises in your routine to avoid injuries.

Rest

Exhaustion and a lack of concentration are often the culprits of sports injuries. That said, be sure to give your body enough time to rest so it can adequately recover. If you’re tired, your body will weaken, increasing the risk for injury.

GETTING BACK OUT THERE

After you fully recover from an injury, don’t return to your routine. Get back to it slowly. You will need to restore your muscle strength and endurance. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are; a workout injury can happen to anyone. Fortunately, you can significantly lower your risk of getting injured by following the above workout precautions.