Drop it like it's hot

I lost a workout buddy this week due to an injury. This stinks! Workout buddies are the best; they give you that little extra motivation to get to the gym or work harder. She tore a ligament in her knee and was told to rest. I really feel bad for her, I have other workout buddies, but an injury like this can set you back and cause a relapse in weight gain and a backward slope that is difficult to reverse. I felt that today's post should focus on best practices on how to avoid injuring yourself during your workouts.

Bad advice: "No Pain, No Gain" or "Pain is just weakness leaving your body"
Good advice: "If it hurts, drop it like it's hot."

Following this advice first requires you to know the difference between regular muscle strain and pain. I find that a good muscle to try this out on is your hamstrings. It's usually a pretty tight muscle so when you stretch it, it can feel a little painful, that is usually a good test of what a stretch is supposed to feel like. Anything that feels like it's affecting your joints is a bad sign, and you either need to check your form or bag out of the exercise all together.

Next: Stretch. Stretch your muscles before and after your workout, and if you have the opportunity to do so, stretch during your workout. When you muscles are tight, they will not function properly and they will not be kind in return. Loose muscles on the other hand make your less prone to injury, you'll get a more efficient workout, and it will help with the amount of muscle soreness you feel the day after a workout.

Second, buy good sneakers and keep them for the gym, unless you're exercising outside, but that's another story. Also, if you're using them regularly, replace them every 6 months. When I replace my gym shoes, the old, seemingly perfect sneakers become my casual sneaks. That way I'm getting a year out of the $70-$100 pair of shoes that I invested in.

Lastly, don't try to compete with anyone else but yourself. No one knows your body better than yourself. Some workout days are going to feel harder than others, and you have to adjust your exertion accordingly.

Always challenge yourself but know your limits, because there is nothing like an injury to put the kibosh on your weight loss goals.