Online Fitness & Health Advice

Tag: injury

How to Heal Strained Muscles from Exercise

FitnessFitness Risk Management

Most people are aware of how critical exercise can be for your fitness and health. In saying that, there may come a time when your body says, wow, that was a bit too hard. You may just end up with a strained or pulled muscle as a result. So, what can you do about those pulled and strained muscles so that you can be back in action as soon as possible?

How Do You Pull or Strain a Muscle?

Before we help you take care of your pulled or strained muscle, it’s essential to get to know how they come about in the first place. Extensive pressure, sudden pressure, or overstretching are the most common causes. They can happen during a regular workout or during everyday tasks such as lifting something heavy or moving in a way you don’t usually.

A strained muscle can be quite painful, but it’s also something you can take care of at home. If, however, you feel extreme pain that doesn’t subside, a trip to your doctor may be in order.

How to Know You’ve Pulled a Muscle

When you pull a muscle during exercise, you will most likely know about it. A spasming feeling often follows immediate pain. You may also notice redness, bruising, swelling, weakness, and limited flexibility. The discomfort may also continue long after that muscle or muscles are at rest.

Pain from a strained muscle usually dissipates after a day. However, ongoing discomfort may mean you’ve got a sprain or tear, rather than a strain.

Read More

How to Avoid Shin Splints During Exercise

Exercise, FitnessFitness Risk Management

Have you ever noticed an intense pain in the front of your lower legs, next to your shin bones, during exercise? No matter your fitness level, that pain you’re experiencing may be shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome, as the condition is also known.

Shin splints occur when you put too much stress on your tibia, or the muscle next to the tibia, during exercise. High energy exercise programmes and sports can be to blame. However, you can also experience shin splints after a lot of running or jumping.

As painful as they can be, they are not permanent. There are things you can do to avoid them and treat them.

Stretching

Before you begin exercising, take the time to stretch your hamstrings and calf muscles. Having tight muscles in your legs can put you at a higher risk of suffering from shin splints.

Transition Through Exercises Carefully

Even if you at the top of your game when it comes to fitness, it still pays to transition through exercises carefully. This means avoiding a sudden increase in activity when your body is not expecting it.

When you start running, jumping, and walking, do it gradually over several days. Don’t change up your workout routine drastically because it can be detrimental to your muscles and bones.

Choose Your Surfaces Carefully

Ask anyone who has suffered from shin splints, and they will tell you that hard surfaces like concrete are not doing you any favours. Hard materials can increase how much force your muscles and bones need to absorb during your fitness routine.

Whether you’ve suffered from shin splints in the past, or you want to prevent them, be more particular with your workout surfaces. Where possible, opt for grass, synthetic surfaces, sand, dirt, or even sprung wood flooring.

Read More