Tuesday, March 29, 2011

How To Extend Your Body's Ability To Exercise

By Katherine Crawford


Because of ever increasing rates of obesity, fitness is now more important than ever in the history of our species.

Unfortunately, when done the wrong way, exercise can cause more damage than good.

So, here are 6 strategies for avoiding injuries when losing weight:

1. Warm up: This may sound basic, but too many people simply start exercising without any type of warm up. And all it takes is one minor distraction when you are cold and you could end up with a serious injury. Make sure you warm up to make all your tendons and ligaments more pliable.

2. Add as much variety as possible: This is a great way to avoid overuse injuries that slowly creep up on you over time until it's too late. For instance, lifelong swimmers usually end up having issues with their shoulders because this area is heavily used.

3. Take time off when you are getting sick: Even if the symptoms are mild, you need to take some time off. The last thing you want is a mild case of sickness turning into something that gets out of control and sidelines you for months.

4. Change shoes often: This is perhaps one of the simplest things you can do to reduce wear and tear on major joints in your body. Too many people hold onto their shoes because they want to get as much use out of them as possible.

5. Take cold water with you when you exercise: Don't rely on your gym or fitness center to provide cold and refreshing water. Take your own water and sip on it consistently between exercises. This will ensure that you stay hydrated.

6. Get your joints strong before your muscles: A safe way to accomplish this is by using light weights with lots of repetitions when you first start exercising. This will not only get you used to the movement patterns, but it will also make your connective tissue strong.

There is nothing worse than having to take months off of your exercise routine because of an injury. So make sure you don't delay and take action on the advice in this article sooner rather than later!




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