​How to prevent injury during exercise

As an exercise therapist and instructor, over the years I’ve seen many bodies and all of them move in different ways. I think this is really important to remember, as we don’t all move in the same way – and this has a significant effect on how we avoid injury. 

There is no singular secret about preventing injury as every body is different. There are a few general tips that might be helpful to follow:
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  1. Listen to your body. If it is blatantly not enjoying something and you feel pain or significant discomfort, just stop! I do not believe in the phrase ‘No pain, no gain’. One of the questions I ask my clients when they say that something hurts is, is it pain or is it your body saying that it doesn’t like something new? Often, the body ‘complains’ when it has something new to do, or is being asked to move differently. Crucially, this isn’t pain and it is usually OK to continue. 
  2. Warm up and cool down steadily. By warming up, you are inviting your body to be ready to exercise at a higher level or a wider range. Your protective fluids are flowing and your body is moving more readily. And, in the cool down phase, you can stretch your muscles so that they return to their pre-exercise length (many forms of exercise temporarily shorten muscles, so stretching them out afterwards help them return to their full length), ensuring less chance of achy muscles on subsequent days.
  3. Do only as much as feels right for you. Exercise needn’t be competitive, against others or yourself. For many people, women in particular, exercising at some parts of the month (or the day) can feel easier than others, so it’s important to notice your patterns and pay attention to what your body is happy to do on the day. 
  4. Move in a varied way. Some exercise can get very samey and the repetitive nature can mean we pay less attention to how we move – and this can cause us to become more prone to injury. If we move in a more varied way, our attention can stay fresh and the chances are that we will be less prone to injury as a result.
  5. Rest afterwards. The recovery phase after exercise is really important, so our bodies can replenish and recuperate fully. If we exercise tired or over-worked muscles, there is far more likelihood that they could be damaged. Resting in the short term offer longer-term gains.