Many articles and experts speak about how to reduce pain and
inflammation after it has occurred. In this article I would like to tell
you how to prevent body pain that happens as a result of exercise. You
see, many of the aches and body pains that people experience as a result
of exercise can actually be prevented by following these 5 simple
rules.
Rule 1 - Warm Up the Body - Before
engaging in any physical activity, the body must be warmed up. Basic
things like jumping jacks, waist twists or light bouncing will do the
trick. The warm up is used to get the blood moving, warm up the muscles,
break the synovial capsules to release their joint fluid and to prevent
injury. Simple range-of-motion movements will elevate respiration
enough to make a difference before you start.
Rule 2 - Stretch Before and After
- Once the body is warm, the muscles are ready to be stretched. You do
not necessarily need to do intensive full body stretches before playing
ping pong, but loosening the major muscles you will use in your activity
is a must. As long as the muscle stretches are held within normal range
of motion, and until tension is released, they will be effective. The
important point is this: Stretch to feel good, not to be flexible. With
that in mind, you will not overstretch and cause injury.
Rule 3 - Target Weak Muscles
- If you are doing strength training, be sure to vary your routine and
target the weaker muscles. The larger muscles do in fact depend on the
weaker and smaller ones to hold the body frame in place. Yet most people
forget about the small guys in favor of making the big guys even
bigger. Needless to say, they feel pain from muscle imbalances. So avoid
this exercise pain by targeting the smaller and weaker muscles as part
of your ongoing routine.
Rule 4 - Reduce Pain and Inflammation
- Injuries like strains, tears and inflammation hamper exercise
progress and overall health. It is therefore important to begin the
healing process as soon as possible. If an injury is acute, it is best
to apply cold within the first 5 minutes to reduce swelling. Ice packs,
ice cubes, a frozen bag of peas or cold gels can be applied. On for 20
minutes, off for 20 minutes, continue as necessary. When swelling is
down and the pain cycle is broken, stop the cold and apply heat. This
will bring oxygen and nutrient rich blood to the area to relax muscles,
remove waste products and promote healing. Additionally, supplements
containing both a natural anti-inflammatory herbal extract and natural
acid that increases flexibility and relieves joint pain can be taken.
Rule 5 - Rest When Injured
- Regardless of injury type it is best to rest before engaging the body
again. If the injury is not too serious, a day or two off and then
easing back into exercise will do the trick. But for more serious
injuries, a week or more of rest will be necessary to give your body a
chance to reduce inflammation and repair damaged tissue. If you do not
rest long enough, lack of rest can be a cause of further injury.
I
hope these five simple rules will help you prevent injuries that arise
from exercise. Simply warm up, stretch, strengthen weak muscles, reduce
inflammation and rest... and you can enjoy your workouts injury free.
Showing posts with label body pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label body pain. Show all posts
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)