Fitness goals are a common New Year’s resolution for many of us, and for good reason: A new year is a new beginning, making it an ideal time to commit to better health.
The problem: Jumping into a new routine without planning risks injuries and pain that can delay your progress. Fortunately, most injuries can be prevented with smart strategies and proactive habits.
As a leader in sports injury treatment and prevention, Mid-Jersey Orthopaedics helps athletes of all levels achieve their goals while staying safe and healthy. In this post, our team offers seven simple tips to help you move toward your personal goals.
Warming up might seem like a waste of time when you’re eager to get to the heart of your routine, but it’s a critical step that plays a major role in preventing injuries. A proper warmup does more than raise your heart rate — it prepares your muscles, joints, and nervous system for movement.
Focus on warming up the muscles you’ll be targeting during your workout. Just 5-10 minutes can make a big difference. You’ll enjoy greater flexibility, feel more stable, and lower your risk of strain, sprains, and tears.
When New Year motivation hits, it tends to have a major impact on motivation — and that means it can be very tempting to jump right in with heavy lifts or more intense workouts right away.
But gradual progression gives your muscles, tendons, and ligaments time to adapt, which, in turn, lowers the risk of overuse injuries. Start with manageable weights or resistance, then increase slowly for long-lasting results and reduced risk of injury.
Reps are important for building endurance and strength, but don’t make the mistake of overlooking the critical importance of form. Using correct technique ensures your body is supported during movement, helping you avoid unnecessary stress and strain on your joints, muscles, and connective tissues.
Not sure about your form? Ask a trainer for input or record a quick check-in for yourself. Look online for video demonstrations. Even small adjustments can make a big impact on safety and performance.
When it comes to gains at the gym, consistency is important, but so is recovery. Rest days give your muscles time to repair tiny “microtears” that happen as muscle rebuilds itself, strengthening tissue and reducing the risk of nagging aches or more serious injuries.
Tip: Schedule rest days the same way you schedule workouts. When you give your body time to restore, you’ll see faster gains instead of being slowed down by pain or injury.
Repeating the same exercises every day puts a lot of excess strain on the same muscles and tendons, quickly leading to overuse injuries. Adding variety keeps your body balanced, engages different muscles, and gives overworked areas a break — and it keeps workouts more interesting, too.
Rotate between strength training, cardio, flexibility work, and low-impact movement for optimal results and more balanced engagement to support long-term, meaningful results while lowering your risk of pain and strain.
Speaking of mixing it up, don’t ignore your supporting muscles, either. Focusing on your primary muscles while ignoring your supporting muscles paves the way for strain and longer-term injuries, like pulled tendons or torn ligaments.
To avoid injuring supporting muscles, incorporate exercises targeting these groups into your regular routine. Remember, when it comes to injury prevention, consistency is key, so add these exercises into your routine at least twice a week for optimal results.
Finally, tune in to your body’s natural signals. Dull aches, sharp twinges, or lingering discomfort are signals that something needs attention. Addressing minor issues early often prevents them from turning into bigger problems that require time away from the gym.
If something feels “off,” take some time to step away from your routine and assess what’s going on. Modify your workout to relieve strain, and if symptoms persist, call our team right away to schedule an evaluation.
Preventing gym injuries doesn’t require a major overhaul of your workout routine. With just a few small adjustments and a little more attention to your body’s “signals,” you can reach your resolutions while keeping painful injuries at bay.
To learn how we can help you train smarter or to find out what’s causing painful symptoms, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Mid-Jersey Orthopaedics today.
