The Importance of Health Checks

Two tips for those starting a new fitness routine

12 April 2017 by Roberta Craig

If you intend to establish a fitness routine, here are a few tips which should help you to do so in a sensible and healthy manner.

Understand the importance of a pre-workout warm-up

Many exercise novices make the mistake of failing to perform a proper warm-up before they start their workouts. This can significantly increase their risk of sustaining an injury.

A five-to-ten minute warm-up session will elevate both your respiratory and heart rates, and in doing so, will increase the flow of blood through your body, helping to deliver vital nutrients and oxygen to the muscles that you will be using during your workout. This, in turn, will reduce the chance of you straining or tearing those muscles. A warm-up can also increase the flexibility of your tendons and ligaments and thus prevent them from being damaged during any stretches you later perform.

Any form of cardio can be used as a warm-up; you can jog on the spot, do some jumping jacks or spend a few minutes walking at a gentle pace on the treadmill. Make sure that by the end of each warm-up, you have broken into a light sweat and are slightly out of breath; these are both indications that your body is now ready for a full workout.

Treat aches and pains quickly

When you begin to reap the fruits of your labour (that is, when you notice an improvement in your physical strength or stamina, or when you start to see changes to your physique), it can be very tempting to ignore those niggling aches and pains and instead simply try to 'power through', so that you can continue to make progress. In reality, this approach could easily result in an initially small injury turning into a far more serious problem, that will require weeks or even months of rest and rehabilitation.

This is why it is vital to pay attention to your body and to have any persistent pains addressed promptly by a sports physio specialist. This type of professional will be able to determine the root cause of your injury and not only treat it, but also help you to avoid experiencing the same issue in the future. The treatments employed by a sports physio specialist will depend on the nature of the issue that needs to be addressed but may include electrotherapy, stretching exercises, muscle manipulations and massage. Additionally, if necessary, they may devise a rehabilitation exercise plan, so that you can return to your usual fitness routine as quickly as possible, without running the risk of sustaining another injury.

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