6 Ways to Prevent Workout Injuries

Working out is surely one of the most effective ways to become healthy. It's not easy but the rewards are great. You know what they say, "No pain, no gain," right? But sometimes we get so immersed with working out that we tend to neglect our safety that we end up with an injury instead of a healthy body. So to increase the gain and lessen the pain, here are 6 ways on how you can prevent workout injuries.

1. Have a checkup. It is advisable that you consult a doctor before you start your exercise program. This is to make sure that your body can handle the physical strain that you are about to immerse yourself into. That way you can have an idea on what you can and cannot do. This is also the best time to know if you have any disease or condition that can jeopardize your health when working out.

2. Get a personal trainer. It's dangerous to embark on a strenuous workout routine alone especially if you don't know how to start. Get a good trainer to work with you to give you tips and advice on how to get fit properly and safely. It is also comforting to know that someone is watching over you so that you don't go past your limit and hurt yourself. Once you get the hang of the routine, that's the time you can try working out on your own.

3. Dress properly. Make sure that you wear the proper gear for the kind of physical activity that you're about to do. This also includes getting the right safety equipment for the sport. Choose the right footwear depending on the activity. If you need bring an extra pair then do so. Also take notice on the kind of clothes you'll be wearing. Make sure that it keeps you cool and dry.

4. Warm up. Warming up before working out is very important if you don't want to get injured. Make sure that your body gets a feel of the physical activity that you're about to undergo. Limber up, stretch those muscles, and break a few sweats by doing light exercises such as walking, stretching, jogging, or any activity but a very slow pace.

5. Go easy at first. When you're starting your exercise program, don't go too hard too soon, or your enthusiasm might just get you injured. Go easy at the beginning of the routine by doing light to moderate exercises then gradually increase the intensity over time. Your trainer will be of great help if you don't know what to do yet.

6. Listen to your body. Pain is given whenever you start working out. But you also need pay close attention to any discomfort that may lead to injuries. If you feel any sharp pain, dizziness, or weakness, stop and find out what's wrong. Never push yourself past your limits especially if you're already hurting. If you need to take a day off from exercise so you can recover, then do so. Remember, it is better to have a day off from the gym for some rest than months off because of an injury.

Whenever you're embarking on a journey towards health, make sure that one of your priorities is safety. There's no sense in working out so hard only to end up with a torn muscle or a broken bone. Hopefully the tips mentioned above will help you gain more health with lesser pain.

"Any workout which does not involve a certain minimum of danger or responsibility does not improve the body - it just wears it out."

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How to Prevent Dehydration When Running a Marathon or Half Marathon

Many runners like a nice pint of carbohydrate solution (beer!) after a run, but there is more to hydration that just visiting the pub!

Any form of vigorous exercise causes you to lose water through sweating, but the intensity of running makes it an especially important issue for runners. It's generally estimated that runners can lose the equivalent of 2kg of water per hour running. Failing to replace it can have a serious effect on performance and health. It's estimated that a loss of water equivalent to 2% of body weight (1.6kg for a typical 80kg runner) reduces running performance by 6%.

Thirst is a notoriously unreliable indicator of dehydration - by the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. The only solution is to be realistic and acknowledge that you will loose a certain amount of water in a period of running, and ensure that you put it back. If you want to be really precise you could even weigh yourself before running and after your shower when you return to see exactly how much you've lost - nearly all of it will be water which you need to replace.

On runs of less than 90 minutes it's normally safe to just replace what you've lost with simple water. Ideally it shouldn't be too cold as the temperature difference from your body can cause a bit of a shock, and body temperature water is absorbed more quickly. On runs of more than 30 minutes it makes sense to carry some water with you and drink at regular intervals. If you try to drink too much water before running you run the risk of feeling bloated and slow. Drinking afterwards will probably be too late to stop you feeling fatigued, and perhaps suffering from dehydration headaches.

For longer runs you need to consider hyponatraemia. It literally means 'shortage of sodium', and it happens because sweat doesn't just contain water - it also contains a number of essential nutrients, one of the most important of which is sodium. As some of your bodily sodium has been sweated out during your run, just drinking water dilutes the remaining sodium in your blood stream. If the level in the blood becomes too low it can cause fatigue, loss of concentration, muscle weakness, and in extreme cases coma and death.

Therefore Isotonic drinks are advised for longer runs. 'Isotonic' simply means that they contain the same concentration of salt and sugar as the human body, therefore helping to maintain the natural balance of electrolytes. However, care is required as there are many sports drinks which are not Isotonic, and they are mostly stuffed full of sugar to give you a quick boost. One small pack of sports gel can contain 60g of sugar. If you are running to lose weight, these gels just aren't the answer - they are plotting to kill you via diabetes!

So, it's important to maintain a healthy level of hydration. The best way is to drink water, before you need it. Only those who are likely to become very dehydrated - running in very hot weather or for more than 90 minutes - normally need to consider Isotonic Sports Drinks.

Find out more about training for a half marathon at www.erunningweightloss.com/halfmarathontraining

Rob Knowles used to be a sedentary, overweight office dweller. He still wastes his days trying to earn an honest living in an office, but he did take up running, he lost some weight and now he just won't stop going on about it!

© 2012 Rob Knowles

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Running Injury Prevention - How to Prevent Injuries When Running And Exercising

To achieve consistency with your running program—or with any other training program, you need to learn how to keep the nightmare of injuries at bay. Let's face it, running is not 100% percent safe activity; the high impact nature of this sport can lead to a myriad of serious injuries such as bone fractures and runners knee. Nevertheless, most of the trouble can be dodged if you implement and follow the right training strategies for injury free running.

Therefore, if you're looking to ward off running injuries while getting the most out of each training session, here are 5 training guidelines that can help

Proper Running Shoes

Running in the wrong shoes increase the chances of discomfort and running injuries such as Achilles tendonitis and black toenail. As a result, if your running shoes are too old, too tight, too wide or just uncomfortable, ditch them and go look for new sole-mate. Head to the nearest sportswear store and pick the right pair for you.

Start With Warm-up

Make sure to start all your training sessions with a proper warm-up. Doing so helps your body to get ready for the task ahead by improving blood circulation and loosening up muscles and joints. Skipping on warm-up will only leave prematurely fatigued or worse, injured. Start with a 10-minutes slow jog and gradually increase your running pace.

Develop Good Form

Proper running form boost athletic performance, improves running efficiency and economy, and most importantly, prevents the occurrence of a plethora of training injuries. Yet, most runners are keen on improving proper running mechanics. Sadly enough, doing so can spell disaster on your running program. Instead, make sure to do the following to improve running form:

- Keep your body relaxed throughout the running session.

- Land on the fore-foot, instead of the heel or the toes.

- Bend you arms at 90% angle while keeping the shoulder and fist relaxed at all times.

- Keep gazing 20 feet ahead. Your head slightly bent forward.

Run on Grass Or Trail

Hitting the pavement and sidewalks can doubtless increase the likelihood of running discomforts and injuries. In fact, improper running surface are one of the leading causes of running injuries. Therefore, make sure to do the bulk of your training on "gentler surfaces". Opt for grass routes or dirt trails as they're more soothing and comfortable to run on.

End With a cool-down

A proper cool down can help you regain control over your body by gradually slowing down heart and breathing rate. Bringing your running pace to an immediate halt increases chances of developing aches and injuries afterward. In addition, doing so hinders running recovery, thus compromises performance and running consistency. As a result, make sure to keep moving even after the run is over. Gradually decrease running pace and stretch afterwards.

Copyright (c) 2012 runners blueprint

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