In this article I want to discuss a little bit about working out to prevent injury and working out around injuries. Injuries are a very common aspect of fitness and athletics, something that needs to be dealt with accordingly. So let's take a look at how we prevent and take care of injuries..

 

First off, it's very important that you're warming up before all exercise. By warming up I mean stretching, or if you're performing weight training, pyramiding up in weight. Basically what that means is starting off with a light weight and with each successive set increasing the weight. That way you can make sure that your joints and muscles are adequately warmed up and lose and ready to go battle the heavier loads.

 

Once you feel as though your body is broken down and needing recovery, it's always a good idea to take an off day. I typically recommend taking at least two to three off days a week, especially if you start to see the signs of over-training. Signs of over-training can be fatigue, lack of sleep, lack of interest in training, etc. Once those feelings start to set in it's time to take an off day.

 

D-loading is also very important aspect. Basically when it comes to d-loading you want to take a week where you perform your usual exercise but at a lower intensity and a lower weight. Basically what we're trying to do here is to give the central nervous system and muscles a break while still introducing blood flow to heal and cure the muscles. At the end of the day training around injury is always going to be an endeavor  where you have to listen to your body. If you feel okay give it a shot, if not take a day off.

 

Injuries are a very common occurrence in a fitness plan. Knowing how to prevent injury, and how to work around them, can help you keep moving forward to achieve your goals and not be sidetracked. Make sure you're always warming up, stretching, and take adequate rest days.