Are you aiming to try and get fit? Do more exercise? Lose weight? Although important to keep fit and healthy, starting a new exercise can make us more prone to injury. This may include muscle, ligament and joint damage. To prevent injury it is important to remember a few key points.
Introduce any new exercise gradually and introduce any changes to your program slowly. You can either increase the frequency (how often you exercise), the intensity (how hard your exercise) or the time (how long you exercise for) each week. Not all three at once!
Keep hydrated.
Wear comfortable, supportive footwear.
Don’t forget to warm up and cool down from exercise for a least 5 minutes.
If you have a chronic illness, a family history of heart disease or are over 40 years old and have not exercised for some time, a check-up by your doctor prior to undertaking vigorous exercise is always advisable.
Most importantly, know your limits. Be realistic with the goals you are trying to achieve and how quickly you can achieve this!