While regular exercise or playing sports is an excellent start to a healthier lifestyle, you need to take extra precautions to prevent injuries. This is why most athletes train with professional trainers. Some even have specialized online fitness coaches for cardio and body conditioning. Here are a few ways to get the most of your fitness program or sport and prevent injuries:
Avoid Dehydration and Overheating
Whatever sport you play or any strenuous activity you perform, make sure to keep your fluid levels to prevent dehydration. Once you experience dehydration, you won’t be able to regulate your body temperature. This can lead to overheating or hyperthermia, which can also affect your performance. As your blood volume drops, there will be not enough oxygen to support your muscles.
According to experts, you should keep yourself well hydrated at all times—not just before or after certain activities. Checking your urine is one way to assess this. It should be clear, not concentrated. Don’t forget to drink after your workout to replenish the weight lost through fluid depletion. As much as possible, avoid caffeine as this can cause dehydration.
Don’t just stick to the eight-glasses-of-water principle, especially when you’re active. If your training or workout session lasts for two hours, you need to add at least 600 ml of water.
Assess the Area and Conditions
Assess the area before doing in any physical activity. Get the feel of the ambiance and the climate conditions. You need to make sure your body can handle certain situations. This is important, especially during the summer season. This doesn’t mean you need to be inactive for most of the time. You just have to know the pace to let your body adapt to different conditions. Other than hydrating yourself with water, make sure to wear appropriate clothing.
Make it a Habit to Warm Up and Cool Down
Many people get injuries such as cramps, muscle strain, sprains, and pulled for skipping the most basic routine. In fact, even professional athletes take their time to warm up and cool down.
Warming up and stretching are essential to helping your body prepare for any activity. This should rev up your cardiovascular system by increasing your body temperature and regulate blood flow to your muscles. It can also help reduce muscle soreness and stiffness, which lessen your risk of injury.
Fitness experts recommend 10- to 15-minutes warmup exercise routine depending on the level of your activity. On the other hand, cooling down allows your body to recover gradually by controlling your heart rate and blood pressure.
Consult an Expert
Before doing joining any sport or performing any physical activity, it is import to consult an expert. Get yourself examined to make sure you’re fit enough to play sports or workout. In case you feel any discomfort or body pain due to strenuous activities, find a reputable sports medicine doctor in Suwanee. These professionals specialize in primary care and non-surgical sports medicine.
Regular exercise or keeping yourself proactive in sports is good for the health. Just make sure to take necessary precautions to avoid injuries.
Read more at Health Research Policy.
