Exercise to prevent injury

The older you are, the greater your risk of injury when exercising. The most vulnerable parts of the body include the back, knees, shoulders and wrists. Here are some exercises to help you increase your chances of preventing injury right from the first training session.

Anti-back injury

Back lift : This exercise helps strengthen the back straightening muscles, supporting you when lifting heavy objects. Lie on your stomach, your legs straight, two hands placed on the head. Slowly lift the abdomen from the floor by using the lower back muscles, keeping it for about 10-20 seconds then lowering the abdomen. Episode from 12-15 times this movement.

Leg stretch : This exercise aims to improve the stamina of the back and hamstring muscles. Put a barbell in front of your foot, bend over your waist and reach for the barbell. Then slowly straighten and slow down again. Episode 8 - 10 times.

Abdominal exercises with the ball : Located on a ball (medecine ball) placed under the back, hold your hands close to your ears and use your abdomen to raise your body as much as possible. Hold this position for 10 seconds then return to the original position. Episode from 15-20 times.

Anti-knee injury

Squatting: This exercise uses many different muscles at the same time. Put a barbell behind your head, from shoulder to shoulder. Next, move your legs slightly wider than your shoulders and squat down, your knees in front of your toes, sit as low as possible. If you have just had a knee injury, be careful with this exercise. Episode of 6 - 10 movements.

Close the hips with the cable: stand next to a pulley machine, attach a cable to the ankle. Step a few steps away from the pulley machine and raise the leg outside as high as possible. You will feel tension in your hip muscles. This exercise is aimed at preventing knee injury by strengthening the stamina of the muscles that hold the knee in place. Use a light dumbbell for this exercise (attached to the pulley), episode 12 - 15 movements.

Shoulder protection

Pressure on the shoulder: to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder joints. Grab a pair of double weights or a barbell above your shoulders, make sure your spine is straight, lift the weights above your head and straighten your arms. Note not to be too straight-forward because it makes you vulnerable. Then gently lowered his shoulders. Episode of 10-12 movements.

Lying at the barbell: lying on your back on the floor, holding a light dumbbell (2.5 - 5kg is fine) in your hand (do not hold your hands on the floor). Hold the elbow firmly at a 90 degree angle and the upper part of the hand puts strong pressure on the body. Lower the dumbbell in front of your face and spin the dumbbell so that your fingers are always facing the ceiling, then gradually lower the dumbbell to the floor. Episode of 10 - 15 movements.

Things to note

Along with the above exercises, there are things you can do right away to prevent injury.

Cold and hot therapy: cold and hot are good tools for sports people. Cold (like ice) helps to reduce pain quickly and is good for recovery. Heat (heat) increases blood flow to the site of injury. You can use heat therapy to treat muscle aches and pains. For other swelling, cold therapy (ice packs) should be used.

Alternating exercises are also a way to help muscles stay active, avoid overloading a fixed muscle group. Can practice alternating exercises 2 days / week.

Regular massage: massage is suitable for people who are experiencing muscular aches and pains. Try to maintain your body massage once a month to keep your muscles good and avoid aches and pains when doing the movements right from the start.

Rest: if you feel a lot of pain in one of the important extremities, it's best to take a break immediately. It is better to return to the exercise and let the muscles relax, rather than trying to overcome the pain because it only makes the situation worse. Improper resting also affects your workout process.