The beginning of a new workout routine and getting back in shape is always an exciting time. We have aspirations of getting back to our High School fitness levels and motivation is abundant. Unfortunately, for many Americans, so are overuse injuries. These injuries happen when we are not properly conditioned or not properly warmed up for the physical activity we are performing.

With any exercise program, it is important to allow adequate rest.

When performing a workout, it actually breaks down areas that are being trained in order to build them stronger. Without adequate rest, the body is not able to perform the rebuilding process, thus leading to a higher risk of injury.
It is important to understand the most common types of injuries when beginning a workout program. When starting a new program or increasing the intensity of a program, the most common injury is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). DOMS is soreness in the muscle tissue that occurs 1-3 days following the exercise of unconditioned muscles. Treatment for DOMS is a regimen of rest, ice therapy, stretching and movement. Many people utilize massage therapy for DOMS as well.

Another common injury is a sprain.

A sprain differs from a strain in that it is damage to ligaments where a strain is damage to muscle. Ligaments attach a bone to another bone. A sprain occurs when these ligaments are stretched or torn. A severe sprain is a complete tear of a ligament and typically requires surgery.

A minor sprain can typically be treated by following the PRICE protocol:

P-Prevention of Further Injury
R-Rest
I-Ice
C-Compression
E-Elevation

Tendonitis is another common overuse injury. Tendonitis is inflammation where muscle attaches to bone. Most cases of tendonitis can be treated using rest and ice, but some cases may require exercises to strengthen supporting muscles. Consult with your physician for recommended exercises.

Stress Fractures are most easily described as a “crack in a bone.” They are most commonly caused by repetitive and unusual stresses placed on bones. Stress fractures are commonly seen in the feet and lower legs of runners. Typically, stress fractures present as generalized pain or tenderness over the area of injury. Unlike typical fractures, stress fractures are not typically visible on X-rays, so specialized methods (i.e. CT Scan or MRI) are used to identify them. The only way to treat this type of injury is to allow an adequate period of rest. Immobilization may be necessary.

Most overuse injuries are preventable when proper precautionary measures are taken.

It is important to perform adequate warm-up and stretching routines before performing any vigorous activity. Also, a 5-10 minutes cool-down and stretching session will help to avoid many of these common injuries. Another important thing to keep in mind is to allow adequate recovery in between workout sessions. Lastly, avoid dramatic changes in routine. If you are currently running 3 miles daily and would like to increase it to 5, increase your mileage gradually over a month by running 3.5 miles daily for a week and then 4 miles daily for the next week and so on. This will allow your body to adapt to the increase appropriately.

 

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