Injury-Proof Your Workout Routine

By focusing on the proper form of your exercise, you can greatly cut down on the chance of injury, and therefore ensure that you're getting better.

Follow these three simple steps to safeguard yourself:

1. Keep everything on a clean plane. We operate in 3 dimensions, and there are 3 planes of movement: Frontal, Sagital, and Transverse. Frontal is side-to-side (like a jumping jack or a cartwheel). Sagital is front-to-back (like running). Transverse is any twisting motion (like swinging a hula hoop).

To keep yourself free from injury, stick to single-plane movements. Once your core muscles get more balanced, then you can begin to make the add complexity to your workout routine (for example, you can do a Frontal/Sagital exercise). Also, while you're doing a Sagital exercise like running, try to limit lateral and twisting movements. Make it just about the Sagital plane. When doing jumping jacks, stay on the Frontal plane. Being aware of which plane you're trying to work will greatly enhance your workout and allow you to maintain structural integrity. 

2. Follow the 90-degree angle rule. The strongest position of your joints is the 90-degree angle. When doing a bicep curl, try stopping when the wrist is the same height as the elbow. Hold the position for five to 20 seconds. When you train the muscles at this angle, you are strengthening the joint as well as the muscle. Use this principle for many exercises.

When doing bench press, try holding the position when your elbows and shoulders are the same height. This technique can also help you break through plateaus in your training. Try it out and you'll add some extra demand into your routine. 

3. Stay within your own limits. This is a tough one for a lot of people. We want to challenge our bodies and try to push to the next level, but we also don't want to force things either. If we force, we end up getting better at a bad thing (see video). Instead, pay extra attention on the specific muscles that you're trying to work, breathe deeply, and follow the first two rules.

When your body is done, it's done. Don't try to get anything else out of it today. Wait until tomorrow. Total health is cumulative, so you can challenge your body today without overdoing it, and then come back tomorrow and do the same thing. I have found that although this is a difficult principle to master, it is absolutely worth it to maintain the health of your body, especially as you age. 

Following these three simple rules will ensure that you have many years of fun and rewarding fitness, and preventing many of the common injuries that seem to afflict so many fit people. 

Keep moving,

Chris

Chris Janke-Bueno is the owner of My Core Balance, a personal training studio in the Willow Glen area of San Jose. For more information, visit www.mycorebalance.com or call (408) 883-4442.

The opinions expressed here are the blogger's and not necessarily those of the local editor's or anyone affiliated with Patch.

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