7 ways to do safe and smart exercise
If you hurt during or after exercise, it’s important to know what you should and shouldn’t do. When you’re hurting, in many cases movement will help you feel better. Make smarter decisions with this advice from Jason Silvernail, DPT, DSc, CSCS, a pain management and rehabilitation expert.
Respect Your Limits
For most people, pain with exercise is not normal, and it’s not something you should just accept. Almost anyone can have some minor discomfort, muscle soreness, and slight achiness of joints in response to exercise, but pain for more than 48 hours could signal a problem.
Understand Your Condition
Some chronic conditions such as arthritis or fibromyalgia can make you more sensitive to pain caused by exercise. That response may be normal because of the nature of your condition, so ask for a definition of "normal discomfort" for your condition from a doctor or physical therapist.
Ask for Help
Address consistent pain with your doctor or physical therapist as soon as possible. They can give appropriate advice about how to manage your problems so you can return to your full exercise regimen sooner rather than later.
Avoid an Encore
Maybe you played soccer in college and hurt your knee. There’s a good chance you could injure that same knee again, versus someone who hasn’t had a previous injury. It’s important to follow through after an interview and make sure to complete your recommended physical therapy program so as to reduce risk of further problems.
Know Major From Minor:
When you have a minor injury, you may be able to self-manage with rest, a light compression wrap or an ice pack. Over-the-counter medication such as ibuprofen or Tylenol may be all you need, based on your medical history. Using the lowest recommended dose for short periods, such as up to five days, is generally considered to be safe.
Train for More Gain
Seek out an appropriately certified personal trainer who can help you “train around” your past injuries. They can connect you to the right healthcare provider if they notice “something” that’s outside their area of expertise. Studies show that people who workout one-on-one with a personal trainer, get better results than exercising alone.
Do Exercise Prevention
You can reduce your injury risk by diversifying your workout. Instead of focusing on just one sport, like running, cycling or lifting weights, try mixing it up with cross-training and by rotating in different cardio exercises such as walking, running, cycling, or using a rowing machine. Don’t forget strength-training with machines or free weights, are especially important as you age, and proven to reduce injury rates overall.