Stop Hurting Yourself: Secrets Revealed To Prevent Exercise Injuries
By admin
- Knee pain
- Hip pain
- Muscle tenderness
- Shin splints
- Stress fracture
Just a few common issues I see spring up from time to time when working with clients. Most of us have experienced something on that list at some point.
Right?
Aches and pains are common which is sad because most of them are preventable.
Yes, if you take just 5 minutes, you can actually relieve the aches in your knees or the tight sensations you feel in your hips. Yet, I feel like a broken record when talking about preventative care… no one wants to take action until there is actually pain to treat.
I used to be the person that would fight through the pain, I would take a deep breath and remind myself I wasn’t a sissy.
Then I Learned That Was Stupid
Stupidity leads to worst aches and pains… the kind of aches and pains that will have you sidelined from your favorite activities.
Here’s what else I learned…
That not many people understand the difference between a preventable injury, muscle soreness, and something to actually be concerned about.
So what’s a trainer to do?
Hunt down a physical therapist to help clear things up.
DUH!
And that’s what I did.
Trust me, you want to hear this.
Dr. Isabel Bosso, my head trainer Ashton, and myself sat down to discuss all things aches and pains…
How to relieve muscle soreness after a workout. What’s normal, what’s not?
- Common injuries that are related to muscular tightness & how just 5 minutes of doing certain moves can help (moves shown below).
- How to handle swollen joints after a workout and when you need to see someone.
- How to progress safely with your workouts and avoid jumping in too deep, too fast.
Mentally Accepting Avoidable Injuries
Sure… some injuries are absolutely unavoidable… you can’t help freak accidents from occurring.
But to think that all injuries are uncontrollable is naive and an excuse.
While the research isn’t available, I would say that over 90% of injuries that are suffered from exercise are completely avoidable.
Most often it comes from pushing your body when you know you shouldn’t be, fighting through an ache or pain that leads to a great ache or pain, and doing too much too soon.
But there is also the “fake injury”…
Those injuries that aren’t injuries at all. These are more prevalent with complete workout newbies but are equally as important to discuss when talking about fitness related pains.
For more on “fake injuries” make sure to listen to the podcast! For now, I want to discuss real injuries.
Treating An Injury Before It Happens
In the podcast, we discuss common issues dealing with knee pain, hip pain, and back pain. By far the 3 most common sites of exercise induced injuries.
And 9 out of 10 times, the all are caused by 1 thing…
Muscular tightness.
Stretching and doing a few ROM (range of motion) exercises can help not only warm your body up for exercise but can help those aches and pains POOF be gone!
Here are the two most common issues…
The IT BAND:
What is an IT Band?
The iliotibial band is a thick band of fascia on the outside of the knee, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee. It inserts just below the knee. It’s crucial for stabilizing the knee.
A tight IT Band can cause pain in the knees and the outside of the hip. By doing these moves you can help develop the stabilizer muscles and increase range of motion to prevent IT band irritation.
Glutes:
Your butt wasn’t designed as a cushion. Believe it or not, it’s actually there to help hold your body erect and stable.
Having a week tush is an issue that is becoming far more popular than ever before because of our sedentary jobs. I’m right there with you, when I’m not training I am at the computer hanging out here!
But weak glutes can have a big affect on the way your body feels… back pain, knee pain, hamstring tightness… it’s amazing how everything is linked together.
Don’t be afraid to focus a few extra minutes working your butt each day! Its a giant muscle and will appreciate the attention.
Exercises To Strength And Increase ROM
The following exercises are great for improve IT Band range of motion (ROM) as well as glute activation.
Do them!
Before a workout as a dynamic stretch routine or on off days!
Set a timer and choose just 3-5 exercises below to do for just 30 seconds. Seriously.
Your ass, hips, knees and back will thank you for it!
The Rules On Stretching
According to Dr. Isabel, she recommends that stretching be done at the end of a workout, or later on in the day once your body has had the time to wake up and move around a bit.
Avoid doing static (holding) moves first thing in the morning as your muscles are tight and locked up still.
Kick start your workout with active stretching such as high knees, kicks, lunges… moves that help to raise your core temperature but will also help wake the muscles up.
And finally… stretch every day! There is no reason why we can’t spend just a few minutes helping to make sure we stay in tip top shape. Spending 5-10 minutes now could help alleviate a lot of time spent in pain later.
I want to thank Ashton and Dr. Isabel for being on the show today! It was a blast, and so informative. If you’re in Charleston and looking for a PT, check out Atlas to get set up with Dr. Isabel Bosso!
So let me ask you…