If you’ve made a resolution to improve your health this year, congratulations! Regular exercise is key to good health and can help you lose weight, strengthen your bones and muscles and even help you sleep better. When you get into a regular workout routine, don’t forget these key principles to keep your workouts safe and effective.
Don’t Exercise When You are in Pain
From blisters to strained muscles, this is how you can develop a serious injury. Minor aches and pains can become chronic overuse injuries that stick around for a long time. If you feel pain during exercise, stop and look for the source. Sometimes all you need to do is make some minor adjustments to your equipment or body position to eliminate pain. Moderate muscle soreness is common, and good, when you are exercising to improve your fitness. However, if you are so sore that normal daily tasks are difficult, or if the soreness does not improve in several days, you should consult a fitness professional.
Take into Account any Medical Conditions
Always consult with your healthcare provider before beginning an exercise or workout routine, especially if you have any physical or medical limitations. Heart conditions, joint pain and other ailments can become worse with the wrong workout routine. If you do have an underlying medical condition, work with your healthcare provider to determine what works for you.
Vary Your Workouts
You may love to run each day to improve your time and increase your distance, but the same routine day after day can lead to muscle imbalance, weakness, boredom and put you at an increased risk for injuries. Vary your workouts often to include a variety of activities such as cross training, circuit training and strength training, which will help you achieve or maintain a high level of fitness and avoid overstressing certain muscle groups.Rest
Rest is an important part of an effective fitness regimen. If you don't have rest days, you can limit your ability to train. Your body gets stronger and more efficient after the “stress” of exercise, so you need to allow down time for the rebuilding of muscle tissue. This allows your body to adapt to the exercise and you come back stronger and faster. It even gives you a mental rest, which can help you avoid becoming burned out.
Use Proper Form
Using incorrect technique diminishes the positive effects of a workout and increases your risk of injury. Also, exercising when you are tired can lead you to become sloppy in your technique. You should be mentally and physically well-rested to get the most from your workout.