HOW TO: DEAL WITH COMMON INJURIES & GYM PROBLEMS

HOW TO: DEAL WITH COMMON INJURIES & GYM PROBLEMS WWW.GETABSAFTER40.COM HOW TO: DEAL WITH COMMON INJURIES & GYM PROBLEMS Injury Prevention & Recov...
Author: Felix Butler
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HOW TO:

DEAL WITH COMMON INJURIES &

GYM PROBLEMS

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HOW TO: DEAL WITH COMMON INJURIES & GYM PROBLEMS Injury Prevention & Recovery

This book contains critical information that you MUST know to complete the Abs After 40 program safely. You need to read this entire book right now, otherwise you are putting yourself at risk for a debilitating injury that will stop you from losing your belly fat. Here’s why: the #1 biggest reason why men over 40 FAIL to get in shape is that they get an injury and they end up quitting. It’s incredibly common, and it’s happened to many of my friends. You work out for a while and build up great momentum towards reaching your fitness goals, and then it happens. You feel the overwhelming fatigue from muscle soreness and may have even injured yourself. Working out now becomes painful, or you may not even be able to work out at all for a while. All the momentum you built up comes to a screeching halt, and you re-gain all the belly fat you lost. You don’t want this to happen to you. And it’s not just this, even minor injuries and soreness can really hold you back. Many men who don’t know how to manage their soreness and minor pain find it makes it really tough to go to the gym or push themselves. But by learning a few of my simple tricks to manage your soreness and post-workout discomfort, you can tremendously reduce the likelihood of severe injury and make working out much easier. So in this ebook I’ll be helping you avoid injuries in a few ways:

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: Overcoming muscle soreness. I’ll show you the in-home tricks I use to reduce and even eliminate post workout soreness, swelling and general discomfort that can occur from starting a new fitness program. Section 2: Stretching and Recovery. You’ll learn the differences between the 2 best stretching techniques plus exactly how and when to perform them in order to speed up recovery. Section 3: Dealing with common injuries. I explain the symptoms and common causes for exercise related strains, sprains and bruising as well as ways to treat self-them. Section 4: General Strategies for overcoming injuries. Within this section you’ll get my personal tips on what you can do if you have new or old injuries, nagging pains or discomfort in certain areas of your body so you can still make the progress you need to in order to meet your fitness goals. Section 5: Preventing common injuries. Here you will learn what the 9 most common exercise related injuries are as well as multiple things you can do in order to prevent these injuries from occurring. Section 6: Put It To Practice. I conclude the final section of this ebook with my final thoughts on how to make all of my simple recovery and injury prevention methods a practical part of your every day fitness lifestyle. Now, starting a workout program can be challenging. Making the time to exercise, following a structured routine, and setting goals are hard enough; but add to that the muscle soreness and potential risk of injury that comes along with adapting to a workout program, and it may be difficult to stay on track. From this ebook, you will discover how various self-recovery methods can boost your physical performance both inside and outside of the gym and keep you free from experiencing injury related setbacks. Understanding how to build recovery time into any training program is important because this is the time that the body adapts to the stress of exercise and the positive effects from training take place. Without the proper recovery protocol, the body will continue to breakdown from intensive exercise and most commonly enter an “overtrained” state. Symptoms of overtraining include a feeling of general malaise, staleness, depression, decreased performance and of course, increased risk of injury - all of which can be easily avoided through the proper recovery protocol.

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SECTION 1: OVERCOMING MUSCLE SORENESS After participating in any strenuous exercise, particularly something new to your body, it is common to experience muscle soreness. Muscles go through quite a bit of physical stress when our bodies undergo exercise so naturally, mild soreness is common and prevalent in the beginning stages of any workout program. However, before we address ways to overcome this discomfort, it is important to know the difference between experiencing post-exercise soreness vs post-exercise pain.

SORENESS VS PAIN: HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE Muscle Soreness Type of Tender when touching muscles, tired or burning feeling while exerDiscomfort cising, minimal dull, tight and achy feeling at rest.

Pain Ache, sharp pain at rest or when exercising

During exercise or 24-72 hours after activity

During exercise or within 24 hours of activity

Duration

2-3 days

May linger if not addressed

Location

Muscles

Muscles or joints

Improves With:

Stretching, following movement

Ice, rest

Worsens With:

Sitting still

Continued activity

Resume offending activity once soreness subsides

Consult with medical professional if pain is extreme or lasts more than 1-2 weeks

Onset

Appropriate Action:

Muscle Soreness

After exercise, muscular soreness generally peaks 24-72 hours after activity. This is the result of small, safe damage to muscle fibers and is also referred to as Delayed Onset Muscular Soreness (DOMS). During this time, your muscles may be tender to touch and feel tight and achy. Movement may initially cause discomfort but activating and gently stretching your muscles will help to decrease soreness. During the few day period that you experiencing muscular soreness, you might consider performing alternate exercise activities in order to give your sore muscles an opportunity to recover while strengthening other muscles. These activities include a brisk walk, bike ride or simply a 10 to 15 minute stretch routine to increase your circulation and enhance the oxygen and nutrient delivery to these sore areas.

Pain

In contrast to muscular soreness, it’s possible to experience pain during and even after performing exercise. This experience typically consists of sharp or “stabbing” sensations located in your muscles or joints. This pain may linger without fully going away, perhaps even after a day or two rest period from working out. These severe sensations are your body’s way of signalling to you that an injury may have occurred; and pushing through these pain signals can result in further injury, strain or tear within the muscle fiber or connective tissues surrounding the area of attention. If you feel that your pain is extreme or is not resolving after 7-10 days you should consult with your Healthcare provider immediately to diagnose your injury and direct you to the appropriate pathway of care before resuming regular exercise. How To Reduce & Relieve Muscle Soreness Simply put, the post-workout soreness that is often experienced after intense exercise is an inflammatory response to muscle tissue damage which occurs during the activity. This damage is necessary in order for the body’s musculature to reach hypertrophy (increase in muscle size) and plays an essential role in our ability to make physical progress.

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SECTION 1: OVERCOMING MUSCLE SORENESS Fortunately, there are ways to quickly recover from this state and get right back into making progress within your fitness goals. Use the following strategies immediately after your workout to speed up healing so you can get back to building muscle and dropping excess body fat faster. -Rehydrate: Your muscle cells need water, so when it comes to recovery, dehydration is one of your biggest enemies. Try to drink one 20-24oz bottle of water for each hour of exercise. Within a few hours after a workout, your urine should be light yellow or clear. If it is dark yellow, then you are inadequately hydrated. -Refuel: Immediately after a workout, you have a maximum of about two hours to most efficiently absorb what you eat as energy and repair fuel. This is what as known as your body’s “anabolic window”, or the window of opportunity to make the most progress within reaching your fitness goals. If you do not eat, you may not have enough carbohydrate energy for your next workout, not nearly enough protein to repair your muscles, and not enough healthy fat for your hormones and joints. Taking a Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) supplement or consuming a balanced meal consisting of lean protein, complex carbohydrate and a healthy dietary fat source will instantly support speedy recovery. -Stimulate circulation: Circulation of blood in and out of a stressed body part improves speed of recovery. This is true because as blood is forced into damaged muscles, more nutrients and oxygen will enter these areas and kickstart the healing process. Techniques that can improve blood flow include cooling down after your workout with a walk or easy bike ride, wearing compression garments, performing light stretching during or after each workout, alternating every 30-60 seconds between hot and cold running water in your post-workout shower, taking an ice bath after a strenuous weight training workout or long run, and performing a low-impact activity the day after your intense workout routine such as a light walk or swim. -Try topical ointments: There are several compounds that you can apply to sore muscle areas to reduce soreness and speed up recovery. Most of these compounds work by creating a pain-relieving and cooling sensation, increasing blood flow, or displacing elevated levels of calcium. Popular remedies that have worked for me and my clients include Arnica rub, Traumeel, Bengay, Tiger Balm, and magnesium oil. All of these ointments can be rubbed into the muscle immediately after and up to several days after a workout, until soreness subsides. -Apply A Heating Pad: Heat helps warm muscles, increasing blood flow to the problem area. Heating pads are a great tool for easing muscle soreness by applying low heat, directly to the source of pain. Once applied to the tender area, leave on for about 20 minutes, and be sure to place a towel between the pad and skin to avoid potential burns. -Take An Epsom Salt Bath: Run a hot bath, add a few cups of Epsom salt and soak. This salt soak method has been shown to relax the nervous system, ease muscle strain, soothe chronic back discomfort and aching limbs, and draw toxins from the body. This method is an effective post-workout soreness reducer because through the soak, the Epsom salt is absorbed directly through the skin and replenishes the level of magnesium in the body. The magnesium helps to produce serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of calm and relaxation that is vital for fast recovery.

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SECTION 1: OVERCOMING MUSCLE SORENESS -Invest in a Foam Roller: Trigger points are specific “knots” that can form in muscles after performing intense exercise. Releasing trigger points with a foam roller can help to reestablish proper movement patterns and pain free movement, and ultimately, enhance performance. Utilizing stretching alone is not always enough to release muscles tightness, which is why foam rollers have become such a popular recovery method. Below are a few effective foam rolling moves that you can do to self-massage sore or tight muscles.

IT Band (hip & gluteal complex)

Mid Back (rhomboid region)

Upper Back (latissimus dorsi region)

Lower Back (lumbar and gluteal complex)

Calves (soleus and gastrocnemius region)

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SECTION 2: STRETCHING AND RECOVERY Pre-workout Stretching & Warm-Up

Stretching before a workout is crucial for preventing injury as well as improving performance. Especially if you exercise right after waking up or if you’re working a desk job or pretty sedentary during the day, your muscles are going to be tight. The best stretching style to perform before you begin your workout is called Dynamic Stretching which is the stretching of the muscles whilst on the move. This type of stretching involves active movements that mimic your actual workout. For example, runners often perform dynamic stretches like hip circles, walking lunges, and butt kicks to properly activate the muscle groups used in running. During dynamic stretching, you’re constantly moving, so it provides a cardio warm-up as well which is essential for getting the most out of your workouts. You can prime your body’s performance and maximize your workout potential with the following 5 minute total-body Dynamic Stretching routine. As you perform this stretch sequence, do not “bounce” or “jerk” through the planes of movement. Control the following movements for 10 to 15 reps each and repeat the sequence 3 times, if time permits.

PRE-WORKOUT DYNAMIC STRETCHING Hold each posture 15-30 seconds on both sides Repeat at least 3x Arm Circles

Hip Circles

Leg Swings (forwards & back-

Leg Swings (Side to Side)

Side Bends (Side To Side)

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SECTION 2: STRETCHING AND RECOVERY The ideal post-workout stretching technique is called Static Stretching in which a given stretch position or posture is held. By doing this you encourage the muscle fibres to accept the stretch, increasing the length of the muscle and improving the range of movement. Static stretching techniques focus more on relaxing the muscle and promoting flexibility than dynamic stretching, and are best suited to perform once you’ve completed your workout. Neglecting this cool down process can lead to poor flexibility in one or more muscle groups that may result in muscular imbalances or poor posture. Tight, unstretched muscles pull on joints and can slowly create a shift in your body’s alignment - leaving you to be much more prone to injuries. You can boost your body’s recovery process with the following 5 minute total-body Static Stretching routine. As you perform this stretch sequence, you should feel some tension in the muscles as you stretch, but stay within the pain-free zone. Hold each stretch for at least 15 to 30 seconds. Take slow, deep breaths while you hold the stretch and do not bounce. If time permits, repeat each stretch three to five times. Include stretches for all of your major muscle groups, but spend extra time on the muscles that feel tight or are used frequently during your workouts. POST-WORKOUT STRETCHING & COOL-DOWN Hold each posture 15-30 seconds on both sides Repeat at least 3x Standing Quad Stretch

Sitting Leg Cross Over Stretch

One Arm Neck Stretch

Hand Clasp Overhead Stretch

Cross Body Shoulder Stretch

Laying Cross Hip Stretch

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SECTION 3: DEALING WITH COMMON INJURIES Regular exercise provides many benefits for your body. However, exercise, even regular careful exercise, does come with risks. Most people only experience minor exercise-related injuries such as strained muscles and blisters. Depending on one’s fitness level and age, some may experience more serious injuries such as torn cartilages or even broken bones. The following section describes some of the more common exercise injuries, where they often occur, how to recognize them and how to avoid them. Strains A muscle strain, or pulled muscle, occurs when your muscle is overstretched or torn. This usually occurs as a result of fatigue, overuse, or improper use of a muscle. Strains can happen in any muscle, but they’re most common in your lower back, neck, shoulder, and hamstring, which is the muscle behind your thigh. Many strains are minor -- just small tears in the tissue -- but some can be severe. Worst case scenario: A tendon could completely sever and require surgical repair. Symptoms of a muscle strain include soreness, swelling, muscle spasms or inability to move the muscle all together. Sprains Falling, twisting, or pressing can force a joint out of its normal position and result in a sprain. This can cause ligaments around the joint to stretch or tear. Sprains happen most often in the ankle. Most commonly, when people fall and land on their hands or press heavy weights above their head, wrist sprains can occur. A sprain to the thumb or other finger joints are often routine in resistance training as well. Symptoms of a sprain include soreness, swelling, bruising, edema or inability to move the joint all together. Bruises Bruises happen when a muscle, ligament, or tendon sustains a blow forceful enough to injure capillaries, so they break open and cause blood to collect under the skin and in the injured tissue. Most bruises are minor and heal with treatment at home. But some can be severe and take weeks or months to heal. Bruising can even occur in vital organs, if the injured tissue is a vital organ. Using gym equipment without padding or protective cushioning commonly results in bruising. Symptoms of bruising include dark discoloration of the inflicted area, swelling, and pain.

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SECTION 3: DEALING WITH COMMON INJURIES Continued...

Treating Sprains, Strains and Bruises If you have experienced any of the above injuries, seek medical attention from your Healthcare provider before resuming regular exercise. Self or at-home treatments for sprains and strains are generally similar. To reduce swelling and pain in the first day or two, doctors usually say to: • Rest the injured area. If the ankle or knee is hurt, your Healthcare provider may suggest the use of crutches or a cane. • Put ice on the injury for 20 minutes at a time. Most Healthcare providers advise to do this 4 to 8 times a day. • Compress (squeeze) the injury using special bandages, casts, boots, or splints. Your Healthcare provider can relay which one is best for you and how tight it should be. • Put the injured ankle, knee, elbow, or wrist up on a pillow. • Your Healthcare provider may recommend taking medicines, such as aspirin or ibuprofen. After treating pain and swelling, general recovery advisors recommend exercising the injured area. This helps to prevent stiffness and increase strength. In severe post-injury cases, physical therapy may be required. It is important to see a doctor or Healthcare provider if you have a painful sprain, strain or severe bruising in order to receive the right treatments.

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SECTION 4: GENERAL STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING INJURIES. Injuries can happen to the best of us - especially when we push our bodies to the limits, the nagging aches and pains can sometimes manifest into an injury. What to do? Most of us will get discouraged, avoid the gym all together and stop training - but what about the consequences of losing that positive momentum and progress you’ve made in reaching your fitness goals? On the other hand, if you do get injured, are the consequences of not letting an injury take the time to heal going to compromise your long term health? First, you must understand your pain by determining if you have an injury and the severity of it. Generally there are three types of injuries: acute, sub-acute, and chronic. Acute Injury: An acute injury occurs immediately, and a few examples are spraining an ankle, tearing a muscle, or breaking a leg. Poor nutrition, failure to warm up and improper lifting technique are the main contributing factors for attaining an acute injury. Sub-acute Injury: A sub-acute injury is one that builds up over months or years - These are what we consider “nagging pains”. Examples are muscle strains and various wear and tear injuries that progressively get worse. These can be the most frustrating injuries of all because although you can still exercise regularly, you can’t workout at high intensity levels and performance is typically hindered. Chronic Injury: Finally, a chronic injuries is the most serious of the three. Examples are joint injuries such as rotator cuff injury, shoulder bursitis, or tendonitis. All three injury types must be handled with caution because with just one small tweak could result in you heading to the operating room. Be sure to take good care of a chronic injury and follow your Healthcare provider’s instructions. Once your injury has been properly diagnosed, you can begin taking the steps towards speedy recovery with my general formula for self-rehabbing injuries. The following personal tips will allow you to stay on track with meeting your fitness goals and continue seeing the results you want.

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SECTION 4: GENERAL STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING INJURIES. The Self-Rehab Formula For Fast Recovery 1.) Use the RICE method. If you have an acute injury you will probably experience mild to severe swelling around the site of the injury. This is due to the fact that damaged tissue usually swells. This swelling can cause pain, loss of motion, and frustration because you won’t be able to effectively use that area. RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation), is a great way to treat that injury, reduce swelling quickly, alleviate pain, protect the injured area, and accelerate the healing process. Ice: Using ice is still the best way to treat an acute exercise related injury. Ice reduces swelling and provides temporary short-term pain relief by reducing blood flow to the injured area. It’s recommended to use ice post-workout for 15 minutes at a time for up to an hour. 15 minutes on, then 15 minutes off. But take caution: Never use heat on an acute injury. Heat expands blood vessels, speeds up blood flow, and increases swelling, which can make an injury much worse. Ice reduces blood flow to tissue and by doing so, reduces swelling to be sure you are using ice unless instructed by your doctor. Compression: Just like ice, compression can help reduce swelling. Getting rid of swelling is important because when swelling occurs, the injury can take longer to heal. Using a bandage wrap plus ice as a recovery combo is much more effective at reducing swelling than by just using ice only. Elevation: This is another useful tactic to keep swelling in check, and it works best when the injured area is raised above your heart. For example, if you have a sprained ankle, prop it up on a few pillows while you lie down. Most injuries can be effectively treated using RICE, but if you have a more serious injury, you may need to see a doctor. 2.) Never stop working out completely. It’s important to never completely stop working out after you become injured. Of course for more serious injuries, time off is required however for nagging pain or acute injuries, the benefits from exercise such as enhanced circulation can speed up the delivery of vital nutrients to the injured areas. 3.) Work around your injury. If you have a wrist injury, perform lower body exercises. If you have an ankle injury, perform upper body exercises. You can try to do less challenging variations of exercises that formerly caused pain and even modify your training intensity to a level in which promotes safe, yet still effective results. You can do this by using exercise machines and resistance bands instead of using free

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SECTION 4: GENERAL STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING INJURIES. Continued... weights which are much more challenging. Since free weights and most body weight movements require a lot of stability and coordination, avoiding these types of exercises during the recovery process will keep you from a potential re-injury. 4.) Safely exercise injured areas if possible: If the injury is minor and you are still planning on directly working the affected area, be sure to use lighter weights and higher repetitions. Avoid jerking or throwing the weight around; instead, use slower, more concentrated reps, and feel the target muscle so you don’t overstep the limitations of the injury and aggravate it. By performing frequent, low-intensity exercises and higher reps, you can activate the injured area and accelerate the healing process by getting the muscles moving, especially if you do it early on after the injury. 5.) Don’t forget to warm-up properly: If you are overcoming an injury while still exercising regularly, it’s crucial that you warm-up your muscles before lifting. If you contract or place tension on a cold muscle, you increase your risk of injury to that muscle. But if you gradually raise the temperature of the muscle, you will help relax and elongate the muscle, resulting in an injury-resistant state. Plus, warming up your muscles will help you build more muscle because it promotes circulation and elasticity - the two ingredients needed for growth and recovery.

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SECTION 5: PREVENTING COMMON INJURIES There are many simple adjustments you can make to your workout environment, home life and even certain apparel modifications that can lower your risk of potential injury as you move towards reaching your fitness goals. Get your warm-up in: warming up with some of the dynamic movements found within section 2 of this ebook will ensure that your muscles are “awake” and active before they undergo strenuous activity. Focus on staying flexible: By adding my 5 minute post-workout stretching routine to the end of your workout, you will enhance the length of each muscle which improves the muscle’s ability to expand and grow. Eat a well-balanced diet: Replenish weak muscles and strengthen your immunity as you recover with protein, complex carbohydrates and dietary fats. Maintain a healthy body weight: When body fat is low, joints and ligaments experience less stress during daily activities. Rest as needed: Listen to your body. To prevent over-training, take at least one day off from your fitness regime each week. You should also give yourself a break if you feel extremely sore and exhausted or if you experience intense physical discomfort. Always use proper technique: Using proper form when performing particular exercises, (particularly resistance exercises), will subject your body to the safe and natural movement patterns that will strengthen the connective tissues surrounding your muscles and joints. Accident-Proof Your Training Zone: Avoid leaving gym equipment, bags or water bottles in your movement path while exercising. Exercise on flat, stable, and dry surfaces. Wear shoes that fit well: Wearing worn out or ill-fitting shoes put your body at great risk for potential injuries by adding pressure or discomfort to the ankle and even the knee. Exercise with the right gear: Utilizing lumbar support belts or wrist wraps can support weakened or compromised areas of the body, adding the necessary stability required to perform exercises without pain or discomfort. Get adequate sleep: While you sleep, your brain triggers the release of hormones that encourage tissue growth. This can help you recover from injuries such as cuts or even sore muscles from your last workout. Aim to get 7 to 8 hours of restful sleep every night. WWW.GETABSAFTER40.COM

SECTION 5: PREVENTING COMMON INJURIES When it comes to a more specific approach to preventing common injuries, one of the best ways is to firstly know your body’s limitations. For example, if you are prone to knee pain, avoiding high-impact activities such as jumping or sprinting would greatly lessen your risk for further knee damage. Likewise, if you have chronic back pain, you don’t want to be performing heavy loaded squats or leg presses which can severely stress the already troubled area. The main objective in preventing common injuries is to acknowledge the weakest areas of your body and strive to either slowly build them up through various recovery and strengthening techniques or avoid the activities that stress them all together. Below are various preventative measures that can be taken in order to avoid the most common fitness related injuries.

COMMON LOWER BODY INJURIES Ankle Sprain Most gym-goers and athletes alike have experienced a sprained ankle, which typically occurs when the foot turns inward. This turning stretches or tears the ligaments on the outside of the ankle, which are small and relatively weak. What you can do: To prevent this from occurring, it’s important to practice ankle mobility exercises and stretch techniques before and after exercise. ANKLE PRE-HAB STRETCHING You can perform ankle flexion and extension warm-ups by positioning a towel over the top part of your foot and pulling towards your body. Then, carefully extend your toes away from your body, flexing your calf muscle. You can also prop your foot against a wall and loosen your ankle tendons before engaging in intensive exercise

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SECTION 5: PREVENTING COMMON INJURIES COMMON LOWER BODY INJURIES Groin Pull Pushing off in a side-to-side motion causes strain of the inner thigh muscles, or groin. In addition, over-activating your hips in a squatting or dead lift position can too result in groin tearing. What you can do: One of the best ways to avoid groin injuries is to strengthen this region of the body. You can do this by implementing the following specific abduction and adduction exercises into your workout routine. HIP ABDUCTOR EXERCISE You may also avoid a potential groin pull injury by performing the following stretches before engaging in any lower body exercise. Try maintaining each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds each.

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SECTION 5: PREVENTING COMMON INJURIES COMMON LOWER BODY INJURIES Hamstring Strain There are three muscles in the back of the thigh in which form the hamstring - one the most common sites of exercise related injuries. Hamstring strains occur most often from over training, dehydration, strength imbalances and inflexibility. Whether you are an athlete or you occasionally workout, tight hamstrings put you at risk for hamstring injury and back pain. What you can do: To best prevent a hamstring injury, create a consistent hamstring stretching routine that consists of bent leg isolation stretches. It’s good practice to perform the following stretches before any intensive leg workout.

HAMSTRING STRETCH EXERCISES You can promote hamstring flexibility and mobility by using a massage stick before and after exercise, further reducing your risk of injury.

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SECTION 5: PREVENTING COMMON INJURIES COMMON LOWER BODY INJURIES Knee Injury: ACL Tear The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) holds the leg bone to the knee. Sudden or abrupt changes in movement such as high-impact jumping, squatting or lateral leaping can result in severe damage to your knee. A complete tear can make the dreaded “pop” sound. What you can do: To prevent an ACL tear, it’s important to avoid movements that add excessive stress to the knee. Any climbing or jumping activities where the knee is bent beyond 90 degrees puts undue pressure on the cartilage surfaces under the kneecap which increases the risk for an injury to occur. Along with avoiding high-impact exercises, adding the following knee strengthening exercises into your workout program. Since these movements do not require the knee to absorb shock, the muscles and ligaments surrounding the knee will strengthen, making it that much more unlikely to experience a knee ailment. KNEE STRENGTH AND RECOVERY 15-30 seconds each |Repeat 3x | Up to 60 seconds rest between sets

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SECTION 5: PREVENTING COMMON INJURIES COMMON LOWER BODY INJURIES Lower Back Strain A sudden, sharp twinge in your lower back during your workout could be a sign you’ve overdone it. The biggest culprits of low back strains are from using improper form during heavy resistance movements such as squats or deadlifts. Even worse than strains, nerve compression and disk herniation from improper exercise techniques is just as common. Twisting motions or sideways bends can also strain your lower back. What you can do: To avoid low back ailments, beginners should first learn how to maintain a neutral back before engaging in heavy resistance exercise. To find your neutral spine, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Your spine should touch the floor under your neck and lower back, which allows the natural curves of your back to absorb shock during exercise. To assist in developing this healthy spine posture, practice the following back strengthening posture. This practice consists of moving the spine from a rounded position (flexion) to an arched one (extension). It’s a simple motion, but one that is enormously beneficial in preventing back pain and maintaining a healthy spine. Transition from flexion to extension 5 to 10 times before engaging in intensive exercise or on your rest days.

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SECTION 5: PREVENTING COMMON INJURIES COMMON LOWER BODY INJURIES Another way to prevent low back strains is to focus on developing core or abdominal region. Try the following core strengthening routine to stabilize your trunk and prevent lower back pain before engaging in strenuous exercise. BACK STRENGTH AND RECOVERY 15-30 seconds each |Repeat 3x | Up to 60 seconds rest between sets

Get your form correct first before adding weight. Beginner weightlifters should do the leg press or hip sled first before trying squats. Lastly, investing in a weightlifting belt may assist you in heavy loaded back or leg exercises by providing stability to your trunk during intense movement.

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SECTION 5: PREVENTING COMMON INJURIES COMMON UPPER BODY INJURIES Elbow Sprain Repetitive use of the elbow — for example, during golf or tennis swings and through pressing exercises like a military press or bench press — can irritate or create tiny tears in the elbow tendons. The most common elbow ailment, Epicondylitis or “Tennis Elbow”, is most common in 30 to 60-year-olds and usually involves the outside of the elbow. What you can do: Warming up is essential to avoiding elbow injuries as this will increase the body and muscle temperature and lubricate the elbow joints and connective tissues reduce injury from sudden movement in the future. To do this, the following forearm stretches can be performed prior to engaging in exercise.

If you’ve experienced mild elbow discomfort during exercise or physical activity, protection can be worn in the form of a brace or suitable support bandage.

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SECTION 5: PREVENTING COMMON INJURIES COMMON UPPER BODY INJURIES Shoulder Injury Our shoulders are the most mobile joint in the body, allowing us to carry out an endless list of exercises including almost every pressing or pulling movement. The four rotator cuff muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis) are the key to providing stability to the shoulder complex. Given the relatively small size of these muscles and the amount of work that is demanded of them, they can be torn due to trauma or inflamed from overuse. What you can do: Since the shoulder consists of stabilizing muscles, the best way to prevent potential shoulder ailments is to focus on strengthening the stability of the shoulder girdle. You can enhance your shoulder girdle stability with the following movements. SHOULDER STRENGTH AND RECOVERY 15-30 seconds each |Repeat 3x | Up to 60 seconds rest between sets

While performing any shoulder movements during your workouts, try slowing down the lowering phase of your shoulder exercises to see increases in size, strength and stability — and of course, to decrease the risk of injury — in your shoulders. For example, as you perform a lateral raise with dumbbells or resistance bands, focus on slowing the lowering (eccentric) portion of the movement down. It is also important to always stretch the shoulder girdle to maintain healthy, flexible and functional rotator cuff health. You can do this by practicing the following range of motion stretch technique as shown below. Try holding this position for 15 to 30 seconds on each side and repeat at least 3x.

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SECTION 5: PREVENTING COMMON INJURIES COMMON UPPER BODY INJURIES Neck Strain or Sprain Neck injuries can occur through imbalances in posture during strenuous exercise. The bones in your neck are connected to each other by bands of tissue called ligaments and supported by various muscles. Sudden or severe stress on the neck can overstretch the ligaments — a sprain — or partially tear the muscles — a strain. A symptom of sprain or strain is neck pain that worsens with movement. What you can do: To prevent neck injuries, you can strengthen your supporting neck musculature (trapezius) by implementing reverse shrugs into your workout routine. Once or twice weekly, perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps of light weight to improve neck support. You can also support neck health through consciously improving your posture on a daily basis. If your job requires you to sit for extended lengths, adjust your desk chair so your hips are slightly higher than your knees. Your head and neck will then naturally assume the correct position. When traveling, place a small pillow or rolled up towel between your neck and the headrest. It’s also wise to stretch the neck each day to promote correct posture and avoid potential injuries. The following 4-move neck mobility routine coves all of the bases for neck support. NECK STRENGTH AND RECOVERY 15-30 seconds each |Repeat 3x | Up to 60 seconds rest between sets

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SECTION 5: PREVENTING COMMON INJURIES COMMON UPPER BODY INJURIES Wrist Sprain The wrist joints are constantly under demand in the field of fitness. Common sports related wrist injuries can occur from swinging a bat, throwing a ball or a punch. When it comes to weight training, gripping a weight awkwardly or pressing a heavy load overhead can result in damage to the wrist ligaments. What you can do: To avoid potential wrist injuries, you can use wrist wraps during heavy weighted exercises that involve grip strength. To build and support optimal wrist stability and strength, practicing wrist flexion and extension exercises as seen below are often prescribed. Resistance Band Wrist Flexion Wrap a resistance band around your hand with your palm facing up and your elbow by your side, as if doing a dumbbell curl. Keep the elbow bent to 90 degrees and slowly curl your wrist up, squeezing your hand and forearm muscles. Repeat on the other wrist for three sets with 15 reps. Resistance Band Wrist Extension With your elbow by your side, wrap a resistance band around your hand. Keep your palm facing down and your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle, as if doing a reverse curl. Slowly curl your wrist up, squeezing your forearm muscles. Repeat with the other wrist and perform three sets of 10-15 repetitions.

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SECTION 6: PUT IT TO PRACTICE As more and more people recognize the health benefits of exercise and become active, it is important they understand how to endure exercise or workout programs safely. Which is exactly why I made it a personal mission of mine to ensure that each of my clients had a simple, step-by-step recovery guide that would enhance their fitness results and lessen the likelihood of experiencing an exercise related injury. Remember: your body is designed to run like a perfect machine, but on the same side of the coin, it needs diligent maintenance in the form of proper recovery, nutrition, stretching and rest. Too much of a good thing can turn bad without the proper understanding of recovery - which is why knowing your limits and listening to your body is the best way to optimize your health and reach your fitness goals safely. This doesn’t mean that you should allow a mild case of muscle soreness to prevent you from being physically active or making progress. However by pacing yourself and implementing the recovery strategies found within my e-book, you can avoid many of the common gym injuries and setbacks that most beginners face. This e-book should serve as your personal wellness handbook that you can reference in order to make your post-workout recovery a convenient, regular addition to your daily routine. Whether you’re in front of the TV or on the floor next to your bed, you can begin following my foam roller routine or any of my stretching courses right at home. Using these along with the other recovery techniques I’ve included are a great way to tell your body that the day is done and it’s time to start recharging—so you can go back and do it all again, free of pain and full of fire towards reaching your ultimate fitness goals. If you have any questions or concerns about your personal health, consult your Healthcare provider prior to starting rigorous training or an exercise program. Otherwise, enjoy your fitness and wellness journey and remember: always stick with it -- and never give up on yourself. -Mark Mcilyar

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