With many fitness studios closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have turned spaces in their homes into gyms/workout areas. . Virtual workouts have never been more accessible and easy to do.
However, working out at home can also come with some risks and injuries.
Without the supervision, advice, corrections, and modifications of an in-person instructor, the risk of injury rises.
We often see pulled muscles and joint strain from working out at home.
Most injuries are typically due to the lack of a proper warm-up, rushing through the exercises without adequate rest or simply not using proper form during the workout.
Here are 4 tips to prevent injuries during your home workout.
1-Get medical clearance when starting a new workout
Don’t start any exercise program without first checking with your primary care provider. Your doctor can determine whether you’re healthy enough to exercise, and what, if any, modifications you’ll need to make to your program.
2-Learn the proper technique
Learning proper form should be the starting point of every person’s fitness journey, and it’s one that never ends. Using the wrong form could put your body out of alignment, and lead to strains and tears on tendons, joints and muscles. Ask your personal trainer, fitness instructor or physiotherapist for guidance when learning a new technique. Some techniques may need to be modified based on your medical history or physical limitations.
3-Include a warm ups and cool downs
It is not wise to just jump into a workout without first preparing the body first. Start with some dynamic stretching, which will warm the body up. Unlike static stretching, dynamic stretches are active and can include walking lunges, arm circles and lunges. A proper cool down allows for your body temperature, blood pressure heart rate to slowly return to their normal levels. Stretching your muscles while they are still warm can help reduce the chance of muscle stiffness and cramps.
4-Quality over quantity
Another tendency that can lead to injury: hurrying. You need to give yourself enough time to complete the activity you are doing. Fitting in a quick workout usually lead to compensatory movements, which can lead to injury. The focus of every workout should be on flexibility, range of motion, posture and body mechanics rather than how much weight you can press or how many reps you can accomplish.
No matter what type of workout you do, it is important to have fun with it and enjoy the movement. Know that the benefits of exercise of any type outweigh the risks. Listening to your body is key. Don’t push yourself through pain, and make sure that you get sufficient rest, sleep, nutrition and hydration in order for your body to fully recover from your workouts.
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