TLDR: Injuries happen. And no matter how they happen or why they happen, they are not fun. They can happen for many different reasons, but one of the most common reasons I see is because of simple things that go wrong during your daily exercise routines! This could be because of trying a new workout, pushing too hard, the weekend warrior mindset, or just completing an exercise incorrectly. Some things you can do to help prevent these injuries, include (but are not limited to!): a proper warm-up routine, proper technique, gradual progression, listening to your body, using appropriate equipment, stretching/cool down, cross-training, and appropriate hydration and nutrition! Read more in the blog today to find out more about these things!
In my almost 11 years as a treating doctor of physical therapy, I have seen A TON of patients who come to me after experiencing injuries from exercise. Whether they’re trying a new workout or pushing their limits in familiar activities, it’s easy for accidents to happen when the body isn’t properly prepared. Fortunately, there are several effective strategies to help prevent injuries and stay safe while exercising. Today, I’ll walk you through key tips that can protect your body, improve your performance, and keep you on track with your fitness goals! And always remember, you can come to PT BEFORE you get injured! You can come to PT to help prevent those injuries so that you can workout and that you can push your limits without having to worry about pain and injuries! Keep reading for the tips of the day to help to keep yourself injury free!
1. Listen to Your Body
You know your body better than anybody else! The below tips are more “mechanical” and actually activity based if you will. But this tip, is undoubtedly, the most important tip that you will read! Stop listening to “no pain, no gain” or “pain is weakness leaving the body”. Stop comparing yourself and your workouts to other people. Stop comparing your movements and workouts to a previous/younger version of yourself and what you used to be able to do! Your body sends signals when something isn’t right. Pain is a warning sign that should never be ignored. Pain and discomfort is the body’s way of telling you that something is wrong - PLEASE LISTEN TO IT! If you feel discomfort, it’s crucial to stop and assess what’s going on. This does not mean that you need to not do anything, it means you may need some modifications and some help to figure out what the best movements and workouts are for you!
What to do: Stay in tune with your body for your whole workout. Learn the things that feel good and the things that don’t feel right and if anything causes pain. Listen to the exercises and the workouts that you enjoy too! If you feel pain during exercise, stop immediately and rest. Reset your position and posture when something feels off or is painful and try again. If it still hurts and you are in appropriate posture, stop that exercise until you talk to your PT! Pay attention to soreness that persists after a workout—it's a sign that your body may need more recovery time. If the pain doesn’t go away or worsens, consult a physical therapist for further evaluation.
Why it helps: Listening to your body can help you avoid pushing through injuries, which may lead to long-term damage. Rest and recovery are just as important as exercise when it comes to preventing injuries. Not pushing through injuries and pain will keep you from causing something worse from happening and keep you from doing your workouts and movements in general and being out of commission for even longer! The more in tune you are with your body, the better your workouts will be, and the better your body is going to feel!
2. Stay Hydrated and Nourished
This is another one, where people may think it’s not as important as the other tips. I was trying to decide if I should put this down below some of the other tips, but it ended up at top, because the key to the best workouts and preventing injury, starts with really listening and honoring your body’s needs! You can’t prevent injury if you are not intrinsically healthy and that starts at the most “basic” level of hydration and nutrition! Hydration and nutrition play a crucial role in injury prevention. Dehydration or lack of nutrients can lead to muscle cramps, fatigue, and poor performance during exercise. If we don’t have the appropriate fuel too, both hydration and nutrients wise, you won’t have the appropriate energy to complete your workouts properly and you are more likely to be fatigued too quickly which can lead to completing exercises incorrectly and leads to injury. It can also cause dizziness, weakness, passing out, and so many other complications.
What to do: Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout to stay hydrated. Eat a balanced diet rich in protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates to fuel your body for exercise and recovery. Talk to a dietitian about your specific dietary and hydration needs. You want to make sure that you are getting an appropriate balance of all nutrients and staying hydrated throughout your workout. Never go long periods without eating or drinking, both in general throughout the day and through your workouts. This can make a HUGE difference in daily life and in workout performance!
Why it helps: Proper hydration and nutrition ensure your muscles are functioning optimally and can recover properly after a workout. They also help maintain joint health and support tissue repair, reducing the risk of injuries.
3. Warm Up Properly
Warming up is one of the most important steps before any exercise. It increases blood flow to your muscles, improves flexibility, and prepares your body for more intense movements.
What to do: Start with 5-10 minutes of light aerobic activity, like brisk walking, jogging, or cycling. Follow this with dynamic stretches (e.g., leg swings, arm circles) to target the muscles you'll be using during your workout. For example, if you are doing a lower body workout (squats, deadlifts, lunges, etc.), you want to do a light warm-up where you are activating those same muscles (quads, hamstrings, hips, knees).
Why it helps:
Warming up gradually increases your heart rate and activates the muscles and joints you'll be using, which reduces the risk of strains, sprains, and overuse injuries.
4. Focus on Proper Technique
Whether you’re lifting weights, running, or doing yoga, using proper form is so crucial. Incorrect posture or movement patterns can put unnecessary strain on your joints and muscles, leading to injury. This is actually one of the most common reasons for injury during exercise. It often happens too because we are using too heavy of weights or pushing too hard, and to accommodate for that, our body ends up in the wrong position to push through, and then we end up with an injury!
What to do: Take the time to learn proper form for each exercise. If you’re lifting weights, ensure your posture is correct to avoid back, shoulder, or knee injuries. If you’re running, keep your posture upright with your shoulders relaxed and avoid overstriding. Work with a physical therapist if you need help adjusting your form or if you feel pain with any of your exercises so we can help you learn the proper form and the ways to modify and adjust so you don’t have pain and don’t get injured!
Why it helps: Proper technique reduces the risk of overloading certain muscle groups or joints, preventing injuries such as sprains, strains, and tendonitis.
5. Progress Gradually
One of the most common causes of exercise injuries is doing too much, too soon. Whether you’re increasing the intensity of your workout or trying a new activity, it’s important to gradually ramp up. If you’ve ever heard the term “weekend warrior”, these are people who tend to be not very active in general and then all of a sudden decide they can go for a run for an hour at a time without training or play in a sports game that their body is not prepared for, or just do too much too quickly and without proper training or technique!
What to do: Start with manageable intensity and volume, and then increase your load by no more than 10% per week. If you’re trying a new activity, take it slow to give your body time to adapt. For example, if you’re starting a running routine, start with short distances and gradually increase your mileage.
Why it helps: Allowing your body time to adapt to higher levels of stress ensures that your muscles, joints, and tendons become stronger over time without overwhelming them, reducing your risk of injury.
6. Use Proper Equipment
The right gear can make a significant difference in preventing injuries. Whether it’s wearing supportive footwear, using the correct equipment for your workout, or ensuring your environment is safe, proper equipment is crucial.
What to do: Invest in high-quality shoes that suit your activity. For example, running shoes should offer good cushioning and support, while weightlifting shoes should provide a stable base. Keep in mind that you NEED to replace your sneakers consistently. Research shows for the average runner, we need to replace our shoes every 500 miles - which is about every 6 months! Even if you aren’t running, we still need to replace our shoes roughly every 6 months to 1 year (depending on what you are using them for and how often you are wearing them!) Proper footwear can eliminate foot, ankle, knee, hip, and back pain and issues. And the opposite of that means you can have many areas of pain and weakness and agony, if you are wearing old shoes! Make sure your equipment (ex: dumbbells, yoga mats, resistance bands, etc.) is in good condition and appropriate for your exercise routine. Make sure if you are using any type of gym condition, everything works properly and isn’t broken or too worn out to use.
Why it helps: Proper footwear and equipment help maintain proper alignment, support your movements, and protect your joints from unnecessary stress, which reduces the risk of injury. Using equipment that is safe to use and is not too worn out will ensure the best workout and the least risk for getting injured unnecessarily or that could have been easily prevented!
7. Stretch and Cool Down
Just as warming up is important, cooling down after exercise is essential to help your body recover and avoid injury. It gives your body and your muscles and joints to cool down and readjust and get the blood flow to the areas that need it to help healing and recovery and promote strength, as well as prevent muscle soreness and injury.
What to do: After your workout, spend 5-10 minutes performing static stretches (e.g., hamstring stretches, calf stretches) to improve flexibility. Focus on the muscle groups you worked during your workout, holding each stretch for 15-30 seconds. Be sure to not bounce through your stretching - hold them still and don’t push to the point of pain. Hold the stretch where it feels like a good pull, but not painful.
Why it helps: Cooling down helps your muscles relax, return to their resting length, and improves flexibility and brings blood flow to the areas that have just worked so hard. Exercise causes tiny tears in your muscles and the cool down and healing time helps to repair them and build up your strength. Cool downs and stretching reduces the likelihood of muscle tightness and injury after exercise.
8. Cross-Train for Balanced Strength
This is a tough one, especially if you find an exercise that you really enjoy the most out of everything! That being said though, focusing solely on one type of exercise can lead to muscle imbalances, which increases the risk of injury. Cross-training is the practice of varying your workout routine to target different muscle groups. If you are a runner, ensuring you are cross-training with biking or swimming and strength training, as an example, is so important! No matter what your sport of choice is, you want to cross train. You can choose exercises and workouts that complement your favorite activity, you just need to give your muscles and body a change and break.
What to do: Incorporate a variety of exercises into your routine, such as strength training, cardio (running, biking, swimming, elliptical, rowing, walking, etc.), flexibility work, core strength and stability and balance exercises. This ensures that all muscle groups are engaged and can help prevent overuse injuries from repetitive movements.
Why it helps: By cross-training, you avoid putting too much strain on any single muscle group, and you give your body time to recover between workouts. It also promotes overall strength and stability, which can help you avoid injury in the long run. You want your body to be as balanced as possible and this will help to prevent muscle imbalances and decrease the risk of injury throughout.
Conclusion
Preventing injuries while exercising is not about avoiding physical activity altogether, but about being mindful of your body’s needs and making smart decisions. You also don’t have to be limited to exercises and activities that you don’t enjoy! You can find the movements and workouts that you like and that you want to do! By warming up, using proper technique, progressing gradually, and listening to your body, you can significantly reduce your risk of injury and stay safe while working toward your fitness goals.
If you’re unsure about your exercise form or experience persistent pain, don’t hesitate to reach out to us and ask any questions! We’re here to help you stay strong, healthy, and injury-free as you pursue your fitness journey!
Stay safe, and happy exercising!
APRIL 2025 UPDATE!
Our quick update for LWL this month: We celebrated our 4 year anniversary this year! We can't thank you enough for all of your continued support and trust in your care and your health journey! We are so grateful to be a part of your journey and healing! We also have a new shelf set up in the waiting room of our office! We have some products that you can buy - if they are appropriate for you and for your care and recovery! Some of the products that we have include: Kinesiotape, Lacrosse balls (for myofascial release), Biofreeze, Ice packs, pain patches, and Resistance Bands! We will be adding some LWL swag too! We also have a personal trainer/dietitian who is available for you to sign up with outside of your PT appointments, if you need some more support! LWL and Dr. Katie is also creating some online programming for you to complete! There will be many options for stretching, mobility, pain management, and injury prevention! If you have something specific that you would like to have access to, let me know and we will create it! Stay tuned for our monthly updates!
If there is anything specific that you would like to learn about, comment or email me and I am more than happy to talk more about it! If you are a small business owner or know somebody who is and who would like to be a part of LWL’s blog in the future, reach out to us and we would love to feature you!
If there is anything specific that you would like to learn about, comment or email me and I am more than happy to talk more about it!
Thanks for being here!
Follow us on Instagram for tips and tricks and all of our updates, and if you have any questions or need help with any injuries or pain or preventing injuries email us at livewithoutlimitspt@gmail.com! And let us know if there is anything else that you would like us to talk about in our blog and our Instagram/Facebook posts!
Dr. Katie
Dr. Katie Perrone, PT, DPT, is a licensed physical therapist in CT and FL with 11 years of experience helping individuals recover from injuries and achieve their life, health, workout, and wellness goals! Through a combination of hands-on therapy, education, and individualized exercise plans, Dr. Katie and LWL help clients build stronger, healthier bodies and lifestyles and truly live their life with fewer limitations and struggles!
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