As the New Year begins, many people start new workout regimens and diet plans as part of their resolutions. Exercise is a great way to reduce joint pain and improve overall health. With any new workout regimen, activity should begin gradually. There is a tendency to over-do it at first. I know this is true in my family where new workout classes, hiking, and stationary cycling have led to overuse injuries and have derailed exercise plans for the New Year. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to happen to you!
Here are some tips for beginning a new workout routine or activity safely:
- Warm up. Often forgotten, but essential. A good warm up consists of light cardio aerobic You want to get your heart rate elevated and blood flowing the muscles. Your maximum heart rate is roughly 220 minus your age. Target heart rate during warm up would be 50% – 70% of your maximum heart rate. You can visit heart.org to look up the heart rate chart.
- After warm-up, then stretch. This is different than what was previously taught to us in school. The muscles respond better to stretch after a period of warm up. Be sure to stretch all key muscles groups that you plan to work out. Hold stretches and stretch gradually, don’t bounce and overextend the muscles.
- Begin with light weight, high reps. We are not training for a body building competition here. No need to max out weight on day one. A general guide is to use a weight that you can comfortably do 10 -12 repetitions with. Once you are able to build up the strength and endurance at that level, then you may increase the amount of weight.
- Cross train. It is important to exercise all muscles and use a variety of exercises and activities to do so. Performing the same exercise or activity repeatedly can lead to overuse injuries including tendonitis s or joint inflammation. If you want to pick up jogging, don’ t let that be your only form of exercise. Incorporate weight training, biking, elliptical machines, etc. into your program.
- Have fun. Exercising is more sustainable if you are having fun doing it. Try to find a gym, sport, activity, or workout class or group you enjoy. This will help you to stay committed and motivated.
If you do happen to end up with an injury, please give Beach Cities Orthopedics and Sports Medicine a call. We are here to help!
Dr. Ryan Morgan, MD