Exercise is healthy, but it can also lead to various types of injuries. For both indoor and outdoor athletes, injuries lurk. Not all injuries are equally bad, and some athletes never suffer from anything. But even for those, below are 9 tips to prevent injuries.
1) Cold muscles are prone to injury.
Therefore, it is important to perform a warm-up. Read more about this in our blog"warming up before exercising!".
2) Build up slowly
It is extremely important that you build up your workouts slowly and don't start working out like crazy right away. This increases the chance of injury a lot. Take your time there is no rush!
3) Don't ignore pain!
Always listen to your body and do exercises you can handle. The body gives you feedback for a reason. Don't continue with (increasing) pain.
4) Listen to your body
If you experience pain in your shoulders, back, elbows or knees, consider this a warning from your body. Chronic overuse can cause annoying symptoms such as tendon and bursa inflammation. And if you're just doing so well and it shoots into your back and you can't train for 3 weeks, that's obviously a super shame.
5) Make sure you have a well-constructed training schedule!
Especially if you're just starting to train, you shouldn't ask too much of your body. Make sure you have a schedule that builds up the sports activities well in both frequency and intensity of the exercises. That way you also build up your muscles gradually and there is less chance of overloading and damaging them.
6) Poor technique!
If your technique when performing your exercises is not good, you can tear or strain muscles and joints during your workouts. This also applies to exercises such as the squat and the push up, for example. So first of all, learn the technique of an exercise well before incorporating the exercise as a regular part of your workout.
7) Choose suitable running shoes
No matter what sport you practice, always make sure you purchase the right sports equipment. With worn out (running) shoes you can get nasty injuries that can last you a very long time. Think of blisters, knee and hip injuries or nasty inflammations. Therefore, always make sure you have suitable shoes.
8) Do not forget the cool-down
This one is just as important as the warm-up. A good cool-down saves a lot of muscle pain in the coming days. Waste products are removed and the muscle is fed with new energy. Read more about it here.
9) Strengthen your muscles!
With stronger muscles, your body is better prepared for unexpected movements such as bumps and falls. As a result, you are less likely to sustain an injury during a fall. So enjoy exercising to the fullest and take these tips to prevent injuries to heart.
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