Because of Covid-19 we all had a chance to stay at home and look after our health. Most of the people suffer physical injuries associated with home workouts. At our The Midas Touch clinic we regularly see patients who suffer injuries during weight lifting, performing Zumba, yoga because of poor techniques. People starts with a motivation to achieve a particular goal but sometimes they end up with severe injuries.
Here are 5 important tips on how to keep the body going and achieving your goal without any injuries.
1. Warm up and cool down
2. DOMS
3. Faulty technique
4. Know your limits
5. Improper diet & Water intake
1- Warm up and cool down
We all know that warm up and cool down is very important but how it actually works. Before we start to exercise, to make sure each part of the body gets proper blood supply to avoid any muscle pull and injuries warm-up activities are performed. With the proper blood supply to the upper and lower limbs muscles, the muscle functioning gets better. Research says that if you skip the warm-up activities, then the chances of injuries and muscle pull increases by 50% and this will create hindrance in achieving your goal.After any physical activities blood flow to all body parts is increased, cooling down allows the body to adjust gradually with the reduced rate of physical activities. During any physical activity heart rate and blood pressure is increased, cooling down helps in gradual recovery of pre-exercise heart rate and blood pressure which is achieved by slowing down the exercises.
2- DOMS
Delayed Onset of Muscle SorenessDome or delayed onset of muscle soreness is common amongst beginners who have joined freshly to any physical activity; even a person returning to physical activity may experience DOMS. The name itself suggests the delayed onset of muscle soreness.When you start any physical activity, you did not experience body ache just after the activity it takes 24-28 to appear. Research says micro-trauma to muscle fiber may be responsible for aggravating surrounding sensory neurons, this is what DOMS is, to avoid DOMS we should not overdo the activity enthusiastically; and we should do proper warm up & cool down to have the appropriate blood supply to our extremities. Stretching is a must after any physical activity as it helps in increase in blood supply to stretched muscle which results in the removal of lactic acid and recovery of muscle fibers.
3- Faulty techniques
Many injuries are attributed to doing repetitive actions with faulty technique; this can cause excessive pressure to particular joints or muscles which can contribute to an injury. Medial side knee pain, for example, is often caused by having a poor and faulty technique in running, or weightlifting. Over time symptoms of injuries caused by bad technique will be exacerbated and could lead to a more serious condition such as meniscus or ligament tear. Poor technique can also lead to more acute injuries; this can be common with misuse of exercise machines in the gym for example, where a muscle or area of soft tissue can be suddenly stretched.Thus having a trained yoga teacher, fitness trainer, is not just to avoid such injuries but reduce the chances of permanent damage.
4- Know your limits
While doing any physical activity such as exercise, yoga, Zumba and weight lifting make sure you do not exceed the volume and intensity of your limit. Your body needs recovery time after every exercise program and that is why in the gym, trainer makes a schedule for a week such as Monday-Tuesday for upper body, Wednesday – Thursday lower body, Friday – Saturday core & cardio so that the particular muscle will get proper time to heal. Over-training could lead to muscle injuries and it can hamper your goals. So always remember“Slow and steady wins the race”.Do not compete with professionals; they have gained this over the period of time not overnight.
5- Improper diet and water intake
Diet and water intake are an integral part of any workout program. After an hour or more of exercise your muscles require lots of glycogen to bounce back and grow stronger, foods like fruit, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains are the best dietary sources of glycogen.Expert says you have to consume roughly 1gm of healthy carbs per kilogram of body weight within 60 minutes of finishing your workout. A fruit-rich smoothie will get you there.Many people don’t realize the importance of drinking adequate water and the adverse effect it can have on your health, body physiology and weight loss. Recent studies are showing the importance of hydration and drinking 2 cups of luck warm water before a meal can help dieters lose up to 5lbs more in a year and maintain that healthy weight loss. Water speeds up our metabolic rate and can help stop overeating.
Many people complain of headaches, feeling tired, poor performance after a workout, insomnia when they do not have enough intake of water. Did you know that we are made of up to 70% water! Therefore, it’s hugely important to stay hydrated so our body organs can function properly. In 1 hour of exercise, the body can lose more than a quarter of its water. Dehydration leads to muscle fatigue and leads to cramping. Without an adequate supply of water, the body will lack energy and muscles may cramp. So, drink before, during and after physical activity and make sure you maintain proper mineral/electrolyte balance also.