Exercise Injuries

The benefits of exercise quickly become apparent. You feel great. You want to do more, run further, and lift heavier. However, if your body hurts, listen to it, stop and take a rest. If the pain doesn’t go away, you may need to see a doctor. Injuries can be caused by twisting, not warming up, lifting too much weight too fast or with too little rest, and returning to exercise before an old injury has fully healed.

Injury Prevention

Better than treating an injury is preventing it in the first place! Follow these simple guidelines to stay injury-free!

• Perform 5-15 minutes of light cardiovascular exercise to increase blood flow throughout the body and perform very light stretching, ideally dynamic stretching.
• Cool down after exercise, including stretching.
• When weight training, progress the amount of weight lifted gradually.
• Use proper form when working out.
• Wear proper shoes and workout equipment.
• Learn about preventing typical injuries for the activities you enjoy.

Treatment of Injuries

Medical Care: You should see a doctor if:

• There is severe pain
• If you cannot move the injured part and/or
• Injury does not heal (swelling and pain persist)

R.I.C.E: (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)

• Rest. The injured body part for at least a couple of days (To prevent further injury.)
• Ice. The injured area immediately after injury for 10-15 minutes, continue icing every hour if possible (This helps to decrease inflammation.)
• Compression. By wrapping an ice bandage around the injured area with moderate pressure but not tight enough to cut of the blood supply (This helps to decrease swelling.)
• Elevation. The injured body part above the heart (This helps to decrease swelling.)