Injury Prevention - Starting Out The New Year Right!

Written by Dr. Hannah Cork

Happy New Year everyone, Dr. Hannah here! 

With the holiday festivities and overindulgence now behind us, many of us are looking ahead with a ‘new year, new me’ attitude. January is the time to make resolutions around healthier habits, whether that means making changes for the first time or getting back on track with habits that have slipped for whatever reason.

For many of us, exercise is one of those things that we know we should do, but it’s hard to know how to do it in the best way. There are so many options to choose from! The truth is, whatever works for you, as long as it’s consistent, is perfect. Whether that is getting to the gym regularly, committing to a Pilates or yoga class, or literally just making the effort to walk around your neighborhood. However, one of the common things we see in the office when people start exercise programs (or when re-starting after a period of absence), is injury. In most cases many of these injuries could have been avoided if people knew how to approach their exercise sensibly.

Here are some key tips for a safer workout:

• Warm Up: Activating your muscles gets them ready for the work you will be asking them to do. Studies show that warming-up increases the 'length to failure' and elasticity of the muscles and tendons, helping to avoid strain/sprain injuries and tears. Stretching is recommended after, but never stretch a cold muscle. It can lead to microtears that increase the likelihood of injury.

  
  

• Less Is More: Start small, especially if you are not used to a particular type of exercise. There will always be time to build, you don’t have to be a champion straight out of the gate. This also applies for those re-starting exercise, don’t go straight back in where you left off, your body may not be ready for it.

  
  

• Listen To Your Body: We have all heard about ‘feeling the burn’ but there is a difference between pushing your limits and ignoring warning signs. Tolerance needs to be built up as muscles build tone and get used to certain repetitive movements - if something feels too much early on, recognize that as your current limit, slow down and keep building back up to that point without pushing past it.

  
  

• Support Your Body: If you have an area of weakness, for example a chronic injury or previous area of instability, using a support sleeve, brace or K-Tape can really help you avoid over-stressing those areas and enable you to exercise in comfort without the worry of re-injury.

 Finally, always remember to hydrate (inside or outside!) and keep up with your regular chiropractic adjustments! Good structural alignment = better overall function and we are here to help you reach your health goals, whatever those may be!

Are you interested in learning how to use functional tape like Rock Tape and K-Tape to help support your body?

I will be giving an in-person class, Friday, January 30th 5p-7p at the Taproot office. More details to come soon!

Want to secure your seat early? Just send us an email at welcome@taprootchiropractic.com with you and a partner's name (partners are recommended) and how to best contact you. This class is free with the opportunity to buy your own tape afterwards.