WORK OUT CAREFULLY

TRY TO AVOID INJURIES

Common exercise injuries include the following:

• Muscle strains – when muscle fibers are torn or overstretched, as in lower back
• Sprains – injuries to ligaments
• Tendonitis – inflammation of a tendon, often caused by repetitive motions
• Shin splints – pain at the shin bones
• Stress fractures – small cracks in bones, caused by excessive force or overuse

Injuries may be caused by:

• Skipping warm-ups
• Excessive repetition of the same motion
• Lack of correct form
• Insufficient rest between workouts
• Pushing too hard or too quickly
• Attempting an exercise that is too strenuous for your fitness level
• Using improper equipment

Avoid injuries by:

• Warming up. Warm up your muscles and get your blood flowing by exercising slowly, then picking up the pace. Walk briskly before running.
• Cooling down. Finish your exercise routine by slowing down for the final 5 -10 minutes. Bring your heart rate and body temperature back to normal.
• Stretching dynamically before beginning exercise – jumping, moving arms and legs. Do not do cold stretching as a means to warm up.
• Choosing your mode of exercise carefully. For low intensity, consider walking, swimming, stationary biking, golf.

• Using the right equlpment. Don’t use running shoes for tennis or bike helmets for skiing, Mouth guards, knee pads or shin guards may be necessary. Be sure that your exercise equipment fits you properly, works correctly and is appropriate for your activity.
• Learning good form. Take tennis or golf lessons, use personal trainers, look for community sports organizations.
• Cross training. Try different sports, different modes of workouts. Run on some days, cycle on others.
• Listening to your body. We need to push ourselves to build strength and stamina. Or to become proficient in the sport of our choosing. But “no pain, no gain” is not a healthy slogan. Be prepared for soreness with initial activity, but stop the activity when pain occurs.

WORKAROUNDS

My personal experience has been that I can continue fitness workouts when somewhat injured. This is to say that I can work parts of my body when other parts are not in working order, not to suggest that the injured body part should be further stressed.

Here are some examples:

I have lower back pain. Sit-ups and crunches aggravate this, but I can lie on a sofa and do leg raises without engaging my back. I can also move a small exercise ball side to side to work my oblique muscles as I stand.

I have knee issues, bone-on-bone knees. My days of running or even long walks are over. But I can walk on my treadmill with a knee brace for a couple of miles. The handlebars help. Still, the knee pain comes and goes and I must skip the treadmill occasionally.

I have a right shoulder rotator cuff sprain. This prohibits dumbbell curls or presses, but I can do isometrics and protect my joints. I can use Bullworker products and resistance bands. I also use a shoulder heat and massage device to help with my shoulder pain.

I have trigger finger issues, arthritis in my fingers that can be worsened by lifting things. I use a workout glove and do finger therapy exercises daily.

My bottom line is that I do a 30 minute workout every morning before breakfast and then add treadmill walks a couple of times per week. I can always find body parts that need work and that are not in risk of further damage. At age 83, I still enjoy practicing fitness.

AMAZON

I am an Amazon customer and associate. As an associate, I may use their links in conjunction with my articles. I may earn from activity on the links. This is affiliate marketing. Please see my upper menu – BECOME AN AFFILIATE MARKETER– for information on this business opportunity.

Here are a few relevant links. Note descriptions, prices and suggestions for other similar items.

Nordic Track treadmill I use – very durable with heavy use

Small exercise ball I use for oblique work

Workout gloves – to protect finger arthritis issues

Resistance bands with handles and door anchor -for complete body workout

Loop resistance bands – for arms and physical therapy

Shoulder pad for massage and heating of rotator cuff area

BULLWORKER FITNESS

I use Bullworker Fitness products – the Steel Bow and Bow Classic – for isometric and/or isotonic modes of exercise for chest, abdominals and back work. These are high quality fitness tools that are easily used and then put away at home. They can also be taken on trips when a workout option is needed.

These fitness tools protect my joints!

See my Bullworker link at the side of my website. Click on the red link for access to the Bullworker site and pertinent infomration on all of their products.

FINAL THOUGHTS

My premise has been that we can continue fitness workouts as long as we live. We only need to use our common sense to enjoy the benefits. We can control our weight, increase our strength and particpate in the activities we like best at any age.

One reminder that has always worked for me – choose a sport or activity that you enjoy! This is the one that you will continue. For example, I played tennis for over 6 decades and never thought of it as exercise for fitness. It was fun and challenging!

Another thought – we always have time for physical fitness. A half hour workout represents 2% of our day. We have 98% for everything else.

Please leave me any comments or questions in the “Comments” section below.

Let’s stay active!