How to avoid workout related injuries after a long break.

As California begins to open its doors again this weekend the one business I’m most stoked about is the gym!  (I’m sure that’s obv).  After three months away, I’ve never been more excited to get back to a group class with legit equipment. 

As I think about what stepping into the gym might mean, a lot rolls through my mind.  Specifically, being less strong and fit than I was before, which means what I was able to do in February will look different than today.  

It’s important to recognize where your body is today as you get back into your gym or workout routines for one glaring reason… injury.

I’ve been injured enough times due to muscle imbalances or mechanical issues to know that you don’t want that to happen.

Here are my top tips for avoiding workout related injuries after a long break.

5 tips to prevent injury during exercise

1 – Ease your way back into your routine. 

If you haven’t been working out at all during quarantine, start small.  Cardio based workouts will be plenty for you.  Add in resistance slowly into your routine.  Otherwise you’ll have the dreaded “My legs are so sore I can’t walk.”  

If you’ve been working out but limited to what you have at home, still take a gradual approach with your fitness routine.  Ease your way into the workouts and take more rest days than you think.  

My personal plan is to hit the gym every other day or even every 2 days if needed, depending on how sore I am.  Ain’t no shame in a rest day, injury isn’t worth it.  

2 – Warm up before. 

Don’t try to jump right in without warming up your body to the intentional movement you want to do. That’s a sure way to injure yourself during exercise.  Most exercise classes will take you through a warm up but if you are going solo at your local 24, take a jog, do some air squats, burpees, or jumps to get your body primed to perform.

For weight lifters, a common practice to prevent injury during exercise is to activate the muscles you need to use for your lift. So if you are squatting, you’d prime your glutes for the heavy load they are about to bear. If you are bench pressing, you’d activate your pectoral muscles for an optimal lift.

3 – Stretch after each sweat sesh. 

Muscles become stiff well after your workout without proper stretching, which leads to injury down the road.  Just ask my husband.  Make sure to stretch or do yoga right after your workout when your muscles are most limber. This helps your body recover without becoming overly tight.

You can follow along with a YouTuber like Yoga with Adrienne.

4 – Optimize your recovery with the right supplements. 

I wrote about my 2 favorite muscle recovery supplements here. I take BCAA’s and glutamine within an hour of my workout. I notice a MAJOR difference when I don’t take these after a workout… I’m extra sore and don’t recover as fast.  If you want to be able to get to the gym the next day, these are a must.  

5 – Optimize your protein intake. 

Of all the ways to fuel your body while getting back to the gym, protein should be your biggest focus.  The best protein sources come from real food – chicken, steak, eggs, beans, or quinoa.  Animal protein will provide you with essential amino acids your body needs to repair the minor damage working out causes.  As your body repairs itself with the protein you feed it, you’ll end up stronger, faster, and better than you were before.

Conclusion 

Working out is a major stressor to your homeostasis, albeit a good stressor.  However, things can turn ugly if overdone.  If you keep getting injured while exercising, you might be overdoing it. Being mindful of how your body is feeling, taking the precautions above, and properly fueling your body will help you prevent workout injuries and get back to your fittest self in no time.  

If you are still finding you are getting injured when working out, there could be a number of issues to blame. I recommend first trying a few recovery strategies, these are the ones that have worked for me. Put in your email below and I’ll send you my favorites. But of course with any injury, if you are suffering it’s always best to seek medical attention.