Injuries are the worst, especially when they get in the way of your workouts at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym. Though you can’t always avoid them, there are preventative measures you can take to decrease your risk of suffering through one.
Apply these 4 tips to better your chances of remaining injury free.
- Stretch it out. After you warm up, do some dynamic stretches that prepare you for the workout ahead. Deep twists, squats, and lunges are always great options to prep. Post workout at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville athletic club, take on more static stretching, holding the postures longer. Explore yoga poses such as Downward Facing Dog, standing and seated forward folds, seated twists, etc. To learn more yoga inspired stretching, check out some Greenville yoga classes!
- Mix things up. Doing the same exercise over and over again can create imbalances in the body, which can make you more susceptible to injury. Cross training is excellent because it moves the body in different ways, boosting overall strength, flexibility, and balance. Also, it’s an awesome challenge in mind and body and will ultimately better your exercise or sport of choice. Further, it helps to ward off the boredom that is inevitable after redundantly practicing one form of physical movement.
- Recover. Recovery is often neglected, yet it is so vital. If you want to stay on top of your game at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville health center, and keep moving forward with your health and fitness endeavors, you have to implement radical self-care. This means getting 8 hours of sleep per night. No excuses. It means nourishing yourself and establishing a healthy, balanced diet complete with adequate protein, essential fats, and quality carbohydrates (carbs lower on the glycemic index). It means drinking more than enough water. Also (if you can), it means getting regular massage work done. If you need some assistance with your diet and lifestyle choices outside of the gym, consider consulting a trainer or nutritionist at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville sports club.
- Build gradually. Do not try to muscle your way to the top. Always build mindfully. Do not up the volume or intensity ante too quickly. Implement the 10% rule. Don’t do more than a 10% increase in one variable (running, lifting, etc.) per week.