How to prevent overuse injuries from sports or work

It’s January 2020, and this is the year you promised yourself you’d start exercising regularly and getting in shape. If you’re not used to the grind of exercise routines yet, make sure you don’t go overboard or try anything too crazy right off the bat, or you risk running your body ragged. Prevent injury from muscle or joint overuse by practicing these three helpful tips the next time you go to the gym, play a sport, or head into work.

1. Start slow and gradually build. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your desired body muscle. Don’t strain your body trying to take on the heaviest tasks or the most grueling just to feel the burn or feel like you’ve accomplished something. Take on smaller tasks at a time until you’ve accomplished so much, you can look back in awe at where you started. If you’re not used to physical activity, try to go for about 30 minutes per day, cutting them up into bite-size chunks of activity to make them more bearable on your body. Try for three 10-minute or two 15-minute intervals at a time to slowly build up your endurance and strength.
2. Focus on your form. Your body will thank you to slow down and stop trying to keep up with the crowd. You will save your joints from a lot of pain and strain by checking first that your feet are properly placed, your knees might need to be slightly bent, and so on. If you aren’t sure of the proper form, don’t chance it; ask for help from a trusted source before trying it on your own for the first time.
3. Mix it up! At work, this might be seen as taking a break from one task to do another. If you’re training, you might just need to change up the group of muscles you’re working on so that you have time to recuperate.

Overuse injuries occur when you overuse or misuse a particular muscle or joint doing an activity. For example, stocking shelves for a living, you would probably have to regularly bend down to pick up merchandise in boxes, using your knees to do so. The more you use your knees, the more likely it is that particular joint will become irritated from overuse. The same goes for activities such as working out at the gym; if you don’t switch up your routine you might end up overusing a muscle group or joint and causing damage as a result.

If you’ve been hurt due to overuse or muscle straining, we can help. Our experienced overuse injury specialists in San Antonio provide comprehensive treatment and follow up. Request an appointment with one of our board-certified orthopedic doctors online or give us a call today at 210-342-2777 .