Getting a quick hit of exercise endorphins, time constraints and many other factors can lead us to getting straight into a workout without focusing on the basics: proper warm ups and cool downs, listening to our body, etc. 

While exercise is hugely important for our health, it’s also just as important how we exercise – from start to finish. Utilizing correct techniques, intensity levels and not overreaching our limits, allows us to train safely and effectively.

Injury is not always avoidable of course, but there are things you can do to help prevent the risk. Here are seven tips to help you train, while preventing pain: 

It’s easy to want to dive straight into your workout – especially if you’re training in a group setting where a warm up is typically included. However, proper warm ups allow you to prepare your body for the physical demands that are about to be placed upon it, as well as reduce acute or overuse injuries. 

The benefits of a proper warm up include

Warm ups can be simple: light cardio such as cycling or light jogging, and dynamic stretching for targeted muscle groups can do the trick. Spending a minimum of five minutes on a warm up (increasing depending on length and type of activity), can be enough to get your body ready to train. 

Doing too much too soon increases the risk of injury. If you’re training with others, it can be motivating to want to push as much as those around you, however, if you’re body isn’t ready to go there, it could put you out of the gym just as quick.

Ensuring that you have proper form is critical with lifting, especially when you start to load up the weights. If the progression is not gradual and the technique is not correct, it’s way to experience overuse injuries, especially on the joints. If you are unsure about your form or training technique, get an experts opinion. A few adjustments might be all you need to train safely and strongly. 

Just like lifting too heavy, if you are rushing intensity without the proper progression, you could risk overdoing it. Pace yourself for the long run by incorporating gradual increases, and of course proper technique.

Most importantly, it’s important to listen to your body. If you start to experience pain as you begin to increase speed, scale back until you feel comfortable again, and then work to gradually increase. As intensity increases, connective tissues can suffer from repeated stress, so be sure to give your body a break too. 

If there’s one thing that’s worth emphasizing, it’s making sure your form is correct! Without the basic building blocks of good form, there’s just no point. You might not even be working the muscles you’re intending to work if you don’t get this part down. What’s worse, you might be placing severe stress on your body if your form is not correct.

It’s important to seek an experts advice – from a physiotherapist to a coach – if you are unsure about your form. If your training facility has mirrors, you can use these to check your form as well. Training with lighter weights or even resistant bands can allow you to focus on the basics, while getting correct techniques, before you start to add in more weight. 

It’s easy to jump in the shower and head straight to work, or prioritize food and drinks with friends after a sweaty session. But skipping the cool down could set your body up for unnecessary soreness or pain.

Allowing your body to cool down, brings your heart rate back to a resting state and promotes better blood circulation. It’s especially important for your connective tissues and joints, as well as preventing muscle soreness.

Adding in static or dynamic stretches after a workout, walking to cool down or even adding in some breath work, can aid your body in better recovery. 

Overtraining, and not allowing your body to rest and recover can greatly increase your risk for injury. Along with general muscle soreness and acute injuries, overtraining can also lead to chronic overuse injuries. Our bodies need time to repair after physical training, and without adequate rest it quite simply, wears us down.

Your mindset and mental health can also be affected by overtraining. Mood swings and fatigue are two common results of pushing your body to its limits. Listen to your body and try to incorporate gentle recovery days into your training, especially when you increase intensity in your week. 

No Pain, No Gain, or Know Pain, Know Gain?  If you feel pain, and you push through it, chances are you are pushing through something that you need to rest or have checked. At UP, we use evidence and expert clinical experience to help our patients and clients understand the signals and feedback the body gives us so you learn how to work appropriately through “good pain,” and limit the “bad pain” and, most critically, learn the differences between the two. Pain is a signal to your body that something could be wrong, and if it’s persistent, there’s even more reason to get it checked.

If you feel something off in your body and keep working through it, chances are you might even be making thing worse over time. The earlier you can see a physical therapist the better. Even if it’s just to get some answers, like, “things are generally okay, but you might need to modify here or there”, or, “yes, you need to rest this or it could get much, much worse.”

It’s always better to address the problem as soon as possible and get professional guidance on how to continue training safely and effectively.

If you have been feeling pain, or want professional guidance on how to train effectively and safely, schedule an appointment at UP! Getting proper guidance will allow you to maximize your workout and help you achieve the goals you desire.