Avoiding injuries while exercising

Many people would argue that exercising has been around since the very existences of man kind. While others might say that exercising only became relevant since the start of the industrial period, when people were require to use less physical labor because of the invention of factory machinery and the assembly line. Some may even go as far as to say that exercising only became a major factor when TV and automobile was invented in the nineteen fifties for the mere fact that diabetes and heart disease was the leading cause of death during this period. But no matter when it came into existence, exercising is here, and its here to stay. However with the vast amount of injuries that can occur from exercising one has to be extremely careful in order to avoid exercise related injuries.

Completely avoiding exercise injuries could almost be considered an impossible task. Just for the simple fact that an injury could occur in so many different ways. One common way to get injured is through an accident. Whether it's from biking or from accidentally twisting your ankle during a run, accidents do happen from time to time. But injuries also occurs in other ways that could have been prevented; only if people would take the necessary precautionary measures to avoid these injuries. In order to personally avoid injuries these are the few tips I keep near and dear to my heart. I usually stretch before, during and after my exercise. "Stretching is important because it increases flexibility which lessens the chance of injuries". I always warm up before exercising no matter what. "Warm up help reduce your risk of injury and the aches and pains that comes with exercising. The physiological reason to warm up is to assist your circulatory system in pumping oxygen-rich blood to your working muscles." And finally I change up my routine, the reason I usually change up my exercise routine is simply to give my sore muscle the opportunity to heal and recover from what ever damage that might have occur during my previous exercise.

There are endless more advice out there on the subject of avoiding injuries while exercising. But along side stretching, warming up and mixing up my routine. Hydrating is also another thing that I personally use in order to avoid injuries. "Sweating is the body's major way of getting rid of excess body heat. We sweat to help regulate our body temperature. If we can't sweat (for lack of water), our body temperature spirals up and we quickly find ourselves at risk of heat injuries like heat cramps, heat stroke, and exhaustion." These few things might seem quite simple in a sense, but nevertheless these simple techniques have been helping me in avoiding injuries for many many years now. I intend to continue to use them to my advantage in order to stay injury free, and I would suggest you adapt these basic techniques if they are not already a part of your routine. Also anyone that has other interesting techniques that they would like to share, I am always open to new advice.

References cited

(2008). "Why stretching is so important to fitness." Improving Your World. Retrieved Nov 8, 2009. http://www.improvingyourworld.com/health/why_stretching_is_so_important_to_fitness_002316.html

(2009). "Ask the Experts." Sparkpeople. Retrieved Nov 8, 2009. http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=10

(2005). "Hydration and Dehydration." Runlikeagirl. Retrieved Nov 8, 2009. http://www.runlikeagirl.co.uk/running-articles/health-and-diet/hydration.php