From tennis elbow to jumper’s knee and stress fractures, overuse injuries have the same cause. When you exert a certain bone, muscle or joint too hard and too often, the damage can add up. Your body’s healing powers are amazing. You have to give it the time it needs to recover.
Keep reading to learn how to prevent overuse injuries by listening to your body so you can stay in the game and play your best.
What Are Overuse Injuries?
Overuse or repetitive motion injuries happen when we push our bodies past their limits. These injuries are often seen in elite athletes, though anyone can get them. Every body is different, and injuries tend to occur when people stretch themselves beyond their own boundaries, whatever they are.
For example, an overuse injury can happen to an inactive person who starts walking long distances, or it can hit a regular walker who takes an intense exercise class. There are no hard-and-fast rules, no number of miles you shouldn’t walk or weight you shouldn’t lift. What matters is starting where you are — not where you want to be — and taking it slowly.
It may be tempting to cut corners by rushing, which might end up slowing you down even more. Though they can be painful, an overuse injury can also stop an exercise effort before it begins.
Ease Into It
Whether you’re walking, swimming, biking or gardening, start at an intensity and duration that’s comfortable for you. Depending on your fitness level, that could mean walking three blocks or running three miles.
You’ll reap more benefits from exercise if you work out more vigorously, but take it slow. The general advice is to increase weight, distance or time by 10% each week. That means if you use 10-pound weights for a bicep curl one week, go to 11 pounds the next week. And if you jog two miles one week, add 0.2 miles the next week.
Each week, your bones and muscles will get a little bit stronger. If you take it slow, they can heal and rebuild without being damaged. Easing into and out of each day’s activities can also help prevent overuse injuries.
Warm Up, Cool Down
If you’re running, bicycling or doing another activity that strengthens your heart and lungs, start each session with a warm-up for five to 10 minutes. Similarly, if you’re lifting weights, go for lighter ones first to get your blood flowing to your muscles. After you’re done, spend another five to 10 minutes cooling off by walking and stretching. Your muscles will thank you later.
Listen to Your Body
An overstressed body will send out warning signs before an overuse injury occurs. If you’re in pain during exercise that lasts more than a few days, it could be a sign that your body is under more stress. If that happens, give it time to heal. If possible, keep staying active by finding an activity that doesn’t put weight on the bone or muscle that’s hurting. Swimming or using an elliptical machine are often good ways to give bones a break.
Resting at least one day a week by simply doing nothing is also a good way to give your body time to recover. Adding stretching routines, like yoga or Pilates, to the mix can improve your joints’ range of motion.
Keeping You Healthy and in the Game
Being active in body, mind and spirit is a central tenet of AdventHealth’s CREATION Life philosophy. Preventing and effectively treating overuse injuries preserves your ability to keep moving. If an overuse injury needs immediate attention, our urgent care centers and emergency departments offer convenient, on-demand care.
For a list of all of your options, check out our website and learn about our partnership with Rothman Orthopaedics. Learn more about our partnership with USTA National Campus as part of our ongoing commitment to providing whole-person care.
