INJURY ADVICE

Prevention is always better then cure and by adopting some simple habits you can avoid some of the common training injuries.

Always Warm-up

I'm sure you've heard it a thousand times before, to warm-up properly before working out.

But what does a proper warm-up involve?

A good warm-up will prepare you body for the training to come and should involve raising the heart rate and preparing the muscles you will be using.

A good start for most gym users is to simply use a full-body peice of cardio equipment , like the cross-trainer or rower, for 5-10 mins and then follow with some dynamic stretching.

If you are planning on doing heavy lifting, I would reccomend a couple of very light sets of 10-12 reps of the exercise. This will give you chance to check your form and prepare the muscles for the onslaught ahead.

Stretch

A good stretching routine is a great supplement to any form of training, it will allow your muscles to be worked through their full range of motion without fear of causing damage.

Stretching tight muscle groups will also help improve posture and body mechanics, allowing joints to move freely and as intended.

Balance the Workload

Make sure that your training program balances muscle groups, especially pushing and pulling movements. By doing this you can avoid creating dominant muscle groups which can affect your posture and increase your risk of injury.

A typical example is to avoid doing to much chest development work - bench pressing, flyes, etc - without enough work on your back musclces. So make sure you include some pull-downs, deadlifts, seated-rows and cable-pulls to compensate.

Choose the Right Exercises

Everybody has different goals, so make sure the exercises you are doing fit yours.

For example, athletes should spend the majority of their time using compound (multi-joint) exercises, rather than isolation (single-joint) exercises, as this mimics how they will use their bodies when competing.

Listen to your body

If you exeperience unusual pain during exercise, then it may be time to re-think your approach.

If you suffer from chronic injuries or muscle strains, it could be that you muscle re-cruitment patterns are out. This can be addressed and fixed with the proper assessments and exercises.

As part of my coaching services I offer Corrective Exercise. If you suspect an imbalance may be the cause, contact me and we will arrange an assessment.

Allow for Adequate Rest

Exercise is a form of stress on the body, so adequate rest needs to be taken to allow your body to recover and come back stronger from the training.

Overtraining can deplete the immune system and weaken your nervous system - leaving you vulnerable to sickness and injury.

So ensure you train 'smart' by allowing adequate recovery time between sessions. A rough guide, for resistance work, is to have least 48 hours between trainingg the same muscle group - but you may need even more time depending on the intensity of your training.