4 Key Steps To Safe Exercise For All Age Groups

[metaslider id=3047] Injury and re-injury through exercise-whether for recreation or professional means-is a common occurrence across nations worldwide. Kids, teenagers, adults, and older adults, all experience this reality.    Absorb some key support statistics below:

• “More than 3.5 million children ages 14 and younger get hurt annually playing sports or participating in recreational activities.” Source https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sports-injuries/sports-injury-statistics
• “An estimated 2.9 million injuries annually—just over a third of all injuries—occurred at a “sports facility, athletic field, or playground. Sprains and strains accounted for the largest portion of injury types, at 41.4 per 1,000. Fractures, at 20 per 1,000, were next. Followed by contusions (19), open wound (10), traumatic brain injury (4.5), and dislocation (2.9).” Source https://www.apta.org/news/2017/01/04/sports-and-recreation-related-injuries-top-8.6-million-annually

• “One-half of the sports-and recreation-related injury episodes (50.0%) resulted in treatment at a doctor’s office or other health clinic without an emergency department visit or hospitalization.

Overall, general exercise was the most frequently mentioned activity associated with sports-and recreation-related injuries, but types of activities varied across sex and age groups. Body regions injured while engaging in sports and recreation activities included the lower extremity (42.0%), upper extremity (30.3%), and head and neck (16.4%).” Source https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr099.pdf

Why Exercise Is Still Recommended Even With High Injury Risk?

As you absorb the supporting statistics above, and the obvious risk of injury through exercise, you may be thinking to yourself: “Why or how is it that exercise is still a hugely recommended form of medicine/treatment (by medical professionals, nutritional professionals & exercise professionals); and yet results in such a high number of pain and suffering amongst the various age groups, through injury?”   *My Answer: Because exercise just as any other form of medicine, through relatively appropriate prescription; and with environmental conditions factored, is proven (backed by scientific research & professional experience), to yield improved health & function. *Internalize this: the very nature of exercise as a stressor on the human body, is to stimulate adaptation. This adaptation supports rehabilitation, increased fitness conditioning, musculoskeletal adaptation & improved physical & mental function (acute & chronic).

4 Key Steps To Safe Exercise

 

Step 1: Get Physician or Medical Doctor Clearance.

Using my professional experience as support, I’ve seen where many persons begin an exercise regimen without receiving clearance. What’s worse, is that I’ve witnessed trainers and other similar professionals contracted, and not request medical clearance proof (letter), from the client(s). Yet they progress to prescribe exercise for the said client, without being exposed to medical specifics of the said client. Many of these same clients have stopped exercising because of injury or re-injury. For the reasons of knowing what medical issues you may have, as well as to receive exercise guidelines that is compatible, ensure you get medical clearance for exercise-whether exercising at home, at a gym, at work; at an event; with a contracted team, or on your own.

Step 2: Invest In Pre-Participatory Stress Test, and/or Rehab, and/or Fitness & Dietary Assessment

Exercise will raise your blood pressure. It will increase both your heart rate & breathing rate. It will pull on your energy sources and/or reserves. For these reasons and more, I recommend…no, I urge you, to invest in a pre-participatory stress test and/or fitness assessment. Doing so, will reduce your risk of injury and/or re-injury greatly. Additionally, these data-gathering, feedback tests will help establish the platform for your safe & effective customizable program design. What you can expect is that these tests will require your sub-maximal, to maximal exertion (physical & mental). So be prepared for this.

Step 3: Establish SMART Goals

Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Realistic/Relevant. Time-Bound. When setting your exercise goals, or having them set by your professional partner (for you), ensure that your goals follow this principled approach. SMART goal setting leads to your trackable exercise for: rehab-fitness-performance progression. SMART goal setting also gives you trackable insight into your regression/regression rate-triggered as a result of injury as an example. The exercise, fitness and adjoining industries are crowded with exercisers, and exercise professionals who don’t follow this principled approach. Hence, giving potential reason for such high rates of injury across population sub-groups (intra-country & inter-country), as partially highlighted within the statistical discussions shared herein. Ensure “you” enforce greater judgement towards your personal exercise regimen, and/or the exercise regime of your peers.  

Step 4: Have Commitment, Support & Flexibility/Adaptability.

Exercise no matter your goal requires commitment. Exercise no matter your goal is most rewarding with support (join our personal training system-click to learn more; or contact 876-870-7812). Exercise while living in a highly challenging, and dynamic environment/world, requires your adaptability. Don’t depart from this recognition and modus operandi. For if you do, you will experience:

• Plateau.
• Frustration at The Lack of Results.
• Emotional & Mental Distress.

  “Your Sustainable Fitness Partner”.

About The Author

Oshane Bryant: BSc Geology, Geography Minor; ACE CPT since 2012; Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) Accelerator Graduate-2018 cohort; KUKIBO Martial Arts & Self Defense, Senior Instructor; OB Fitness Founder & Managing Director.