We’re not sure who originally said it, but good habits are as addictive as bad habits, and they’re a lot more rewarding, too. Naturally, exercise is a prime example when it comes to a positive habit with a high potential for reward. At Train Forever Strong, our strength training gym in Maryland is dedicated to providing you with personalized training and group training services that will progressively help work your way to achieving and mastering your fitness goals.
While exercise is a healthy habit, it is crucially important to train safely and prevent any injuries from occurring. That’s why our strength training gym wants to make sure that you know some of the basic ins and outs of exercise and strength training, and how they relate to injury prevention. Check it out!
Two Classes of Injuries
Essentially, there are two basic classes of injuries that we’re concerned about: traumatic injuries and cumulative injuries. Traumatic injuries are freak accidents that occur through sports activities, fitness, or even general daily life, like twisting your ankle getting off the bus or getting into a car wreck.
Cumulative injuries, as the name suggests, occur over time. Cumulative injuries are related to tissue damage that occurs as a result of repetitive strain over a given period of time, such as through running, biking, or other activities that repetitively use the same muscle groups over and over again. Cumulative injuries can creep up without you noticing them, and also may be related to poor posture, faulty movement patterns, improper training, improper gear, and so forth.
General Physical Preparedness
To successfully prevent or at least mitigate any chances of physical or sports-related injury, maintaining general physical preparedness is necessary. What this refers to is maintaining a baseline level of fitness so that you can respond to physical challenges without any harm. Let’s take a quick look at some parts of general physical preparedness.
Flexibility
Seriously, don’t run or exercise without stretching before and after! To avoid any injuries, you’ll want to make sure that all major joints, including your spine, have a full range of motion and sufficient muscle length.
Proper Form
If you’re unsure about how to use a piece of equipment or execute a certain technique correctly, please don’t be bashful. Improperly exercising is what commonly leads to traumatic or cumulative injuries for many people. Sure, you might feel a little embarrassed asking, but we guarantee that it’s much better than hurting yourself.
Use The Right Intended Equipment
This might sound silly, but make sure that the things you’re using to work out with are actually intended for what you’re using them for. Save your stylish shoes for a nice occasion or for work, and use cushioned, high-impact athletic shoes for those cardio activities.
Pushing and Exceeding Your Limits
Exercise is addictive for many people, and sometimes that addiction leads to over ambition. Don’t continue running or putting weight on muscles that clearly already hurt. While it’s good to hurt and and be sore to a healthy extent, putting excess stress on hurting muscles can lead to deep bruises and breaks that may or may not heal.
Do It Right at Our Strength Training Gym
With Train Forever Strong’s team of seasoned, knowledgeable fitness professionals, we’re here to make sure that you’re on a safe, incremental fitness path. We know that increasing your cardiovascular endurance, core strength and overall strength takes time and should not be rushed to allow your body to rest and recover. Why risk any chance of sports or fitness-related injury? Contact the strength workout experts at Train Forever Strong today!