6 Quick Tips To Prevent Stress Fractures When Starting Or Changing Exercise Routines

Are you considering beginning or changing your workout routine? Perhaps you’ve been thinking about increasing the intensity of your workout? Whether you are a beginner or a full-fledged athlete you should be aware of the need make the transition slowly. Otherwise you might just be susceptible to getting ‘stress fractures.’

Sudden changes such as increasing your workout’s intensity or changing your exercise routine can cause repetitive injuries to your legs that are called ‘stress fractures.’ It usually happens when you are working out so hard that you break down bone much faster than your body can rebuild it. Your muscles get tired of the stress and fail to absorb the increased shock. This stress overload is then transferred to the bones by the fatigued muscles and causes tiny cracks in the bones.

Stress fractures are basically overuse injuries. For instance, you may think nothing of wearing old shoes while running or switching to a hard court to play your tennis game when you’ve played on soft courts only. You may decide to play a couple more competitive tennis games with your friends resulting in you spending an extra hour or more on court. Your actions however can lead so stress fractures simply because your body is not used to the sudden change. Most stress fractures occur in the lower leg and foot.

The first sign is increased pain, which eventually goes away with rest. If you feel experience a pain or ache, take some proper rest until you are healed. Stress fractures take about six to eight weeks to heal. If you keep on exercising in spite of the pain you may be compounding the problem and creating an even bigger stress fracture that will require more time to heal. In chronic cases, stress fractures can even lead to disabilities.

Here are 6 tips to help you prevent stress fractures from occurring

• Always use good quality equipment. Get rid of worn or old exercise equipment.
• Eat a healthy diet that includes a variety of vitamin D and calcium rich foods or take them as supplements. Studies have shown them to be very effective in terms of reducing overuse injuries.
• Instead of exercising in only one way, cross-train. A varying exercise routine that includes cardiovascular exercises, flexibility exercises and strength training can help prevent stress fractures.
• Whenever you are raising the bar on your exercise routine or are thinking of making changes, go slow! Set small incremental goals. Work up to your eventual goal. Avoid trying to do too much too soon.
• If you experience any pain or swelling take rest. See a doctor if the pain doesn’t subside after a couple of days.
• If you do feel a twinge of pain take care of it immediately by using the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevate) Take some rest, apply ice to the affected area and then use a bandage around the area to reduce swelling and give support. Keeping the injured area elevated above the level of your heart will also help reduce the swelling.

In most cases you’ll have nothing to worry about. The pain will fade away soon. Just reduce the intensity of your workout if that was the cause.

Tags: Exercise, exercise routine, stress fractures, Weight Loss