An exercise injury is a sign that you are pushing too hard too soon. The key to injury-free exercise training is to start easy and progress gradually. Depending on your initial fitness level, for the first month, exercise three days per week for about 15 to 20 minutes at a moderate intensity.
During the second month, slowly build up to four to five days per week for 30 to 40 minutes at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity. The muscles, joints, supporting ligaments, and tendons of the legs and feet respond poorly to excessive exercise – especially activities that require running and jumping.
A good strategy is to participate in a variety of physical activities, an approach called cross-training. Cross-training has several benefits, including decreased risk of overuse injury, reduced boredom, increased long-term compliance, and increased total body fitness. |
