If only that voice in your head that convinced you to work out knew that it isn’t as easy as lacing up your sneakers and doing a Google search for “cross training.”
Unfortunately, you could be running/lifting/yoga-ing into unnecessary aches and pains. And it turns out you can blame your job for most beginner injuries.
Yup, sitting all day every day is bad for the body (remember those trendy standing and treadmill desks?).
Basically, constant sitting weakens muscles such as the glutes and sends the quads and hip flexors into overdrive.
“It’s what we do with the rest of our day, which is mostly sitting,” said Jason Kart, physical therapist and owner of Core Physical Therapy in Chicago.
For exercise novices, this means increased chances of injury when beginning a workout plan.
“When you’re overactive on one side of the body, you have all these imbalances, and when you have imbalances you’re more prone to injury,” said Matt Kornblatt, owner of RightFit Personal Training.
The most common complaint is an injured back, followed by a sore neck, Kornblatt said.
To start small and gain steadily, here are ways to protect against injury and build strength.
Get up while you’re at work
Before hitting the workout routine hard, start strengthening your back muscles during breaks in the workday. Back extensions are one exercise that can be done anywhere.
“You want to stand up with good posture, you put your hands on your hips, and you just lean back and hold it for a few seconds and release it,” Kornblatt said.
This can be repeated five to 10 times per set, a few times a day.
Take it one day at a time
Matt Repa, head athletic trainer at the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, said he sees a lot of patients who try to develop a healthy lifestyle all at once.
“You can’t eat an elephant in one bite,” he said. In other words, it’s usually best not to try to pick up a new diet, start a daily workout routine and give up alcohol all at once.
Start with bodyweight exercises
Beginning a new workout routine can be scary for many reasons. What machines do you use? Which muscles should you target?
To simplify things, personal trainers and physical therapists recommend starting with bodyweight exercises. Lunges, squats, planks and pushups are all easy options to do at home or in a gym. That way you don’t have to hit the weight bench or exercise machines and guess how much extra weight your body can handle.
“You want to start to load your muscles and joints,” Kart said.
Give yourself options
Workout classes are trendy, and for a reason. It seems everyone has an opinion on SoulCycle, CrossFit, kettle bells or whatever is en vogue, and there’s a yoga studio on almost every block in Chicago.
Kornblatt advises that it is important when choosing a class to make sure the instructor is attentive.
“Some classes vary in terms of professionalism and quality of the instructor, so it’s never good if you’re taking a class and the instructor isn’t paying attention to you or anyone,” he said.
However, enjoying a workout will make it less painful, mentally and physically. Kornblatt also recommends trying different classes to discover your favorites.
Kart recommends Pilates as an introductory class.
“Pilates is a good place to start because it emphasizes control moves rather than just strengthening,” he said.
Consult a personal trainer
Goal-setting is a good way to track your progress and stay safe.
Kornblatt recommends meeting with a personal trainer for an evaluation before starting regular workouts.
To cut down on the cost, he recommends going with friends or simply meeting with a trainer a few times to establish a plan and learn the correct form for various exercises.
HOW’S YOUR FORM?
In addition to spending so much time sitting, poor form is another common cause of injury. A coach or personal trainer can help, of course, but one technology startup is hoping to provide an alternative.
Enflux Smart Clothing is creating outfits that give real-time updates on form and statistics to a coordinating phone app, said Mickey Ferri, chief growth officer for the company. The pants and shirts have sensors in them, but they will be machine washable.
One of the co-founders used to work on race cars, so “one night we just had this idea to put the race car sensors on his legs,” Ferri said. The idea behind the equipment is that the more it is worn, the more data is collected and the more it can help a person’s form and performance.
The company launched a Kickstarter campaign in March. While prototypes are still being tested, the goal is to eventually have the clothing serve as an additional tool, instead of or in addition to trainers.
Enflux is expected to be available in March 2017.
