No pain, no gain, right?

Some people will tell you that the only way you can tell if you are exercising the right way is if you feel “pain.” The more painful your body is the day after exercising, the better workout you received. However, exercising to the point of feeling great pain is not right. You could pull a muscle or tear a ligament this way. You could even end up suffering from a major injury, such as stress fracture, resulting from an improper exercise regimen. Yes, sore muscles, torn ligaments, and stress fractures are going to heal in time, but think of the pain and suffering you are going to go through, and finally, think of the cost of your medications, physical therapy, and other treatment.

Injuries while exercising can be avoided. Below are some tips for exercising safely.

Importance of Warm-Up and Cool-Down Periods

Some people go directly to the exercise program without doing any warm-up or cool-down period. They think they can build their muscles faster or lose weight faster without these two. However, this is a big no-no when exercising.

No warm-up and cool-down periods could mean injuries such as very sore muscles and muscle cramping. Skipping these two also means risking damage to your heart and lungs. After all, the warm-up prepares the cardiopulmonary and vascular systems for the demanding workout ahead, diverting oxygenated blood to the organs that will need them the most and not to the organs not needed during the exercise regimen such as the digestive system.

On the other hand, the cool-down period slowly brings the body back to its resting state, gradually returning blood back to the rest of the body and preventing blood pooling. Blood pooling usually happens when exercise is abruptly stopped, causing the person to faint because the brain is not receiving ample oxygenated blood.

Don’t Exercise When Hungry

Exercising soon after a large meal is not recommended; however, exercising on an empty stomach is a very big no-no. Not only does it deprive your body of the energy it needs during the exercise program, but you are also risking other injuries to yourself such as fainting, falling, and hitting your head on a hard surface.

This can be avoided though by eating a full meal at least a couple of hours before you start your exercise regimen. This gives your digestive system the chance to process the food properly and add fuel to your energy store.

Stop When It Gets Too Painful

If you feel any pain during the exercise program and if you feel faint, weak, or lightheaded, then stop. It is your body’s way of telling you it cannot tolerate the activity. Pushing your body to its limit could result to more injuries.

Of note though; if you are going to the gym to exercise, it is also just as important to check their exercise equipments and machines since defective equipments and exercise machines can easily result to injuries. If this happens to you, you have the right to file a personal injury claim against the owner of the gym.

Injuries while exercising can easily be voided if you follow these steps.

Citations:

• The photo included in this article is a free image via http://www.sxc.hu/. Credits to julosstock.

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• License: Creative Commons image source

Jennifer Damien is a freelance contractor who writes for health blogs. She specializes in exercise and nutrition tips and advice. You could get injured by defective exercise equipments at the gym, and if this happens, she recommends visiting your lawyer, such as ZavodnickLaw.com.