Are you headed for an injury?

It is a universal truth that being physically active is important to enhancing your life and preventing a number of illnesses related to inactivity; including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high-blood pressure, and many more. What you may not know is that same universal truth includes its own risks. When you engage in physical activity, there is a risk of injury involved that would not be present otherwise. For those of you who are not yet physically active, it is critical to your success to understand and mitigate those risks to avoid starting and then shortly thereafter, stopping your physical activity due to avoidable injury.

An injury is any condition that is either acute (sudden onset, like an ankle sprain suffered on a hike) or chronic (gradual onset, like an increasingly sore elbow from playing tennis over the previous several weeks). These injuries disrupt the normal function of one or more systems of the body, including the muscular system, skeletal system, the cardiorespiratory system, and others.

To avoid injury understand that all physical activities have a “risk-benefit ratio”. That ratio, while mostly anecdotal, suggests a level of risk compared to a level of benefit for any given activity. For example, walking indoors on a track has a better risk-benefit ratio than running outdoors, in a thunderstorm, on an unknown mountain trail, where there have been recent bear sightings.

Here is a list of things to consider when engaging in physical activity to prevent or reduce the risk of injury.

1. Your starting condition. If you are deconditioned, start slowly and gradually, with the help of a coach, personal trainer, or other professional. If you haven’t exercised in a over 10 years, or are over the age of 40, consult with your doctor to evaluate your blood pressure, resting heart rate, and other predictors of injury.
2. Your ongoing condition. Respect the fact that on a given day, you may be more tired, sick, or distracted, thereby modifying your risk of injury. Work harder on days when you are fresh and take it a bit easier when you are “not all there”.
3. The intensity of the activity. Higher intensity activity provides more benefit up to a certain point, but also increase risk. Progress slowly to reduce injury.
4. The surface on which you are active. Unstable or changing surfaces (i.e. hiking trails) increase your risk of injury more than stable, clean, and flat surfaces.
5. The equipment you are using. Whether it is your shoes, bicycle, or other gear, make sure they are in good condition so they increase your risk of injury.
6. The environmental conditions. Be aware of the physical environment around you (i.e. the presence of cars, dogs, and other people) as well as the meteorological conditions (i.e. temperature or precipitation, making breathing or surface conditions dangerous).
7. Your nutrition. Hydration and caloric needs are dependant on a number of factors including duration of activity and temperature. If you are unsure of how much you should be eating or drinking, seek the help of a professional or become educated on these topics.
8. Your recovery. You have to provide your body with time to recover for it to actually improve. Err on the side or too much recovery until you know how your body is reacting to a given volume of exercise. Start with 48-72 hours between workouts and adjust from there. It is possible to exercise safely every day, but risk of injury is increased.
9. Cross train. Do not participate in just one form of exercise. Include activities that challenge your strength, endurance, and flexibility to create a well-rounded physique and level of fitness and health.

In general the risk of injury is far outweighed by the benefits of physical activity. Find an activity that you enjoy, that allows you to progress at your pace, and compliment it with other equally beneficial and safe activities. You will lead a longer, and more importantly, better life.