So, holiday cheer and festive feasting are finally over, and the new year brings the promise in the form of resolutions. Whether it’s due to social pressure (about 62% of people say they deal with it, with more women than men) or a desire to change something about themselves, people often want to get in better shape.
This means getting into the gym and outside more often, but if you don’t do this regularly and jump in full force, you could get yourself hurt. Let’s give you the best chance of starting this resolution on the right foot by figuring out the best way to do this and stay safe in the process.
If you’re looking to improve your physical fitness this year and do it safely, David Dickerson, MD, and our team at Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in Shrewsbury, Toms River, and Wall Township, New Jersey, are here to help treat and prevent injuries.
It’s so easy to get excited about a new set of challenges and jump right in, but frequently people do several basic things the wrong way when working out, like:
It’s also important to be consistent. Develop a regimen and stick to it, don’t just try every machine.
Whether you’re overworking a body part or did something incorrectly, it can cause many different injuries, including pulling or tearing muscles and ligaments (strains and sprains), and joint damage (fractures), often in areas like your knees, shoulders, wrists, and ankles.
Other common examples, such as shin splints, dislocations, and tendonitis, can also be painful and limiting. This results in working out less because you need to recover, or in some cases, people not realizing they’re hurt and pushing themselves harder, making matters worse.
To reduce the risk of getting injured trying to start your resolution, try these basic steps:
Don’t rush to do everything in the gym; take an overall approach through incremental steps. Things like more walking and integrating basic exercises into your daily routine can help without overdoing it.
The whole “pain is weakness leaving the body” logic will only get you hurt. If you’re doing an exercise and it starts to hurt, stop. You’re just beginning the journey; you don’t need to push yourself harder than your body can take.
You want to get into better shape, but how are you going to do it? What’s the game plan? It helps to know what you’re hoping to achieve before you go into the gym so that you can plan accordingly.
Once you know what you want to do, get professional help to help you do it safely. The equipment and machines will seem novel to you, but a person trained to do this will better understand how to use them properly.
Going into an intense workout without warming up increases the risk of injury, and not cooling down with stretches and other helpful techniques poses the same risk.
If you want to build a new you by going to the gym this year, make sure you take steps to avoid injury while pursuing a resolution. For help managing injuries and staying safe, call 732-691-4898 to make an appointment with Dr. Dickerson and the Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine team today.
