Safe and smart exercise
by John "Trey" Green III, M.D., Orthopaedic Surgeon
 
Senior man exercising

Everyone knows that exercise is good for us. Exercise, in fact, may be the best medicine to prevent and treat common medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and diabetes.

And most people know they should be exercising more. But haphazardly jumping into exercise, particularly if you’re not in shape or carry a few extra pounds, can often do more harm than good and lead to painful injuries.

Here are some suggestions to make exercise more effective and less of a pain:

  • Stretching can be a good way to start. Static stretching, such as touching your toes for 10 to 30 seconds, or dynamic stretching, such as slowly going through a more complicated sports specific movement, can both be beneficial.
  • Warming-up is the gradual increase in exercise intensity to increase your body temperature to break a sweat, usually 5-10 minutes. This process prepares muscles for more strenuous activities.
  • Low impact activities minimize the shock to the joints while enabling strenuous muscle work. Exercise machines work a variety of different muscles through different ranges of motion. Some examples are an exercise bike, elliptical, stair stepper and rowing machines.
  • Start slowly. Depending on your age and fitness level, the intensity and duration may need to start at a very modest level. Increasing weekly activity by 5 percent is generally well tolerated.
  • Cross training means varying the workouts throughout the week to change the main muscle groups and intensity of exercise. This helps clear out the lactic acid build up from previous workouts and allows for muscles to rest and recover.
  • Cool down refers to slowly decreasing activity after a workout for 5 to 10 minutes to return to baseline heart rate. This can help decrease muscle soreness and speed up recovery.
  • Shoes that are made for running have extra padding in the heel for shock absorption, and the cushioning breaks down before you see wear on the tread or upper portion of the shoes. Invest in a new pair and break them in by walking before starting your new fitness routine.
  • Listen to your body. Some muscle soreness the day after exercise is one thing, but any other type of pain associated with exercise is not good. Modify the workout, decrease the intensity and/or volume and add extra rest. The body’s need for rest days increases with age.
  • Don’t be aweekend warrior and try to get the whole week of exercise in one day. This is how injuries happen. Thirty minutes of activity in five different days of the week is a safer way to exercise.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Green or any of our orthopaedic specialists, call 210-450-9300.

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