Steps to Avoid Injury in Exercise Going for the 3 Increases: Increase in Health, Increase in Happiness

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Steps to Avoid Injury in ExerciseGoing for the 3
Increases Increase in Health, Increase in
Happiness Increase in Energy

• Strategies for Success in Weight Management
• By James J. Messina, Ph.D.

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Step 1 To Avoid Injury in Exercise Get an
Evaluation

• Ensure that you are medically safe to exercise
• See a physician and undergo a physical
  examination and evaluation before you initiate
  your exercise program
• Your evaluation depends on your age, health
  status, and anticipated exercise intensity
• Healthy individuals under age 40 (men) and 50
  (women) are usually upon completing a
  medical/health status questionnaire, if answers
  don't reveal any possible contraindications to
  exercise.

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Step 1 To Avoid Injury in Exercise Get an
Evaluation

• All older asymptomatic individuals (males 40
  plus, females 50 plus) or at high risk (e.g.,
  having one or more risk factors smoking,
  hypertension, high blood cholesterol, obesity,
  stress, family history of medical problems,
  diabetes) should undergo a physician -supervised,
  graded exercise test

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Step 2 To Avoid Injury in Exercise Develop A
Sound Program

• Develop a sound exercise program based on
  scientifically documented information
• It should involve starting at an intensity
  appropriate for you and then progressing
  gradually to a point where your body must respond
  to increasingly higher physical demands.
• The temptation to do too much too soon should be
  avoided
• Moderation is essential

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Step 2 To Avoid Injury in Exercise Develop A
Sound Program

• A major cause of musculoskeletal injuries is
  overuse - placing demands on your body that your
  body simply is not designed to handle.
• A sound exercise program always includes
  provisions for stretching the major joints of
  your body before and after exercising.
• It also ensures that you get proper rest (steep).
  Rest enables you to better recover from the
  demands placed on your body by exercising.

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Step 3 To Avoid Injury in Exercise Listen to
your body

• Respond accordingly to common exercise
  termination signals (e.g., dizziness,
  lightheadedness, abnormal heart beats, pain or
  pressure in your chest, musculoskeletal trauma,
  prolonged fatigue, etc.).
• These signals are your body's way of telling you
  that something is amiss and that you must
  decrease the level of stress to which you are
  subjecting your body.