In the modern age, humans complete a lot of repetitive movements.
It is important for us to remember that our joints don’t last forever, and that any repetitive movement can cause us immense pain in the future. We need to look after our bodies - we only get one in our lifetime, after all!
The Risks of Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries occur when muscles and joints are stressed by load, frequency or receptiveness of an exercise or injury. These injuries can cause swelling, joint paint and stress fractures which, if not treated, can lead to seriously painful arthritis.
Diversify Your Movement
There are several ways that you can avoid developing an overuse injury. For example, don’t do too much too quickly, make time to rest between workouts and repetitive movements, use the correct form, and vary your workout routine.
Although overuse injuries usually occur from sports-related micro-traumas, it is just as dangerous to not do any movement at all. Too much sitting can cause obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Researchers found that people who sit for more than eight hours a day without any physical activity had a risk of dying similar to that posed by obesity and smoking!
If you do a lot of sitting for work and commuting, it is crucial that you take regular breaks and stretch.
A Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is vital in preserving your body and your joints for as long as possible. Eating the right foods and drinking plenty of water is essential, as is varied movement. So, for example, if you love the gym, try and mix up your routines and make sure you’re working all muscle groups equally. Or, if you love running and road run 4 times a week, think about swapping in a bike ride or a trail run to keep up your cardiovascular health and save your knees and ankles from the impact of the roads.
Carve time out to stretch and take part in plenty of active recovery activities such as swimming, walking or yoga.
Make sure to take proper care of yourself now - future you will thank you!
