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What About Exercise Injuries?
Physical activity is good for your health, but it can cause exercise injuries. It does stress and strain your body in ways that a more inactive lifestyle does not. If it's done too suddenly or without basic precautions, exercise can lead to injury or illness.
Some injuries and illnesses related to physical activity:
Dehydration may result from losing too much water through sweating and failing to replace it by drinking as you exercise.
Exercise injuries from overuse can happen to anyone who overuses certain joints or muscles. Doing too much too soon or intensive exercise and sports can lead to overuse injuries.
Lower back injuries are common. They are usually caused by poor form in the performance of certain exercises.
Overheating, or hyperthermia, can be a serious problem in hot weather.
Heart attack is rare, but you should be aware of its symptoms.
If exercise causes you to feel chest pain, irregular heartbeat, undue fatigue, nausea, unexpected breathlessness or light-headedness, stop immediately and consult a health care professional.
Ways To Avoid Exercise Injuries And Illness:
Begin an exercise routine slowly and gradually increase intensity.
Pay attention to your body's signals, such as pain and fatigue, when starting a new activity or when increasing the intensity of your physical activity.
Learn about the risks of any new activity you begin. Take lessons, if appropriate.
Always use the safety gear that is recommended for your chosen activity, such as helmets and knee pads.
Always begin and end each exercise session with a warm-up period and a cool-down period. There are no exceptions to this rule. Warming up and cooling down can help prevent injury and soreness.
Cross-training — regularly switching from one activity to another — is more beneficial than sticking with the same thing, not only because it helps prevent boredom, but because different activities target slightly different muscle groups.
Don't exercise on a full stomach, but do drink plenty of liquids before, during and after exercise. Water is the best drink for staying hydrated.
Don't expect immediate results. It takes about 12 weeks to see measurable changes.
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