• 8 Tips for Injury-free Physical Activity and Exercise

    8 Tips for Injury-free Physical Activity and Exercise

    8 tips for injury-free physical activity and exercise

    1. Get active and exercise

    The National Physical Activity Guidelines recommend Australian adults to accumulate 150-300 minutes (2½ to 5 hours) of moderately intense physical activity and exercise or 75 to 150 minutes (1 ¼ to 2 ½ hours) of vigorously intense physical activity each week. Therefore, you should aim for at least 30 minutes of activity each day and the key to this is building a routine and staying motivated. Going to the gym regularly or blocking out time for an evening walk are great ways to start! Exercising with a friend or family member helps to increase motivation and success.

    2. Warm up is important

    Ensure you have a good warm up before exercise, to reduce your risk of injury. Warm up exercises can include body weight exercises, moving your joints, stretching, massaging or using a foam roller to relieve tight muscles. If you are sore during warm up, then you should have a lighter session and not over exert the area. If your soreness continues longer than expected or does not subside, please contact us.

    3. Poor form and control can lead to injuries

    Often when we review people who have injured themselves, we find the underlying problem can be traced back to poor technique. Using correct technique means targeting the correct muscles for the movement and reducing your risk of overloading joints and tissues. Utilising the expertise of your practitioner or a personal trainer, particularly for beginners, is highly recommended.

    4. Stretch regularly

    Sports coaches and medical professionals advise the use of stretching exercises to increase the range of motion of joints and relieve muscle tension to assist in improving performance and rehabilitation. The ability of connective and muscular tissues to change their architecture in response to stretching is important for their proper function, repair, and performance. To find out more about the importance of stretching and how it could help you, click this link.

    5. Don’t go too hard, too quickly

    A large majority of exercise injuries can be attributed to increasing load too early. The body takes time to adjust to the stresses of increasing physical activity. Therefore, a slow progression through an exercise program is advised. For osteopaths, ‘load management’ is critical in starting patients on new exercise programs and for returning patients back to sport and exercise after an injury.

    6. Injuries do happen

    Even the best-trained athletes in the world will have injuries at some point. Following the first five points will greatly reduce the risk of injuries occurring. When soreness or injuries do occur, it is important to try and manage them as quickly as possible. Osteopaths and Myotherapists are highly trained in assessing, treating and managing musculoskeletal injuries, and will get you back to your fit and healthy self as quickly as possible. To book in to see one of our Osteopaths, click this link.

    7. Healthy eating and drinking

    A healthy eating pattern is fundamental to the maintenance of good health and well-being. Healthy eating benefits almost every aspect of our health, throughout our lifetime. While many Australians enjoy a varied and healthy diet, most of us can still improve. Click here to find out more tips for healthy eating and exercise. Try to drink plenty of water and limit your consumption of soft drinks and alcohol.

    8. Rest and sleep

    Finally, making sure you get enough rest and sleep each day is very important in injury prevention and rehabilitation.

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