How to avoid injury when strength training

Exercise usually helps keep you out of the doctor’s office, unless you hurt yourself in the process. Muscle strains and ligament sprains can happen to anyone, regardless of how fit you are. But taking a few minutes to warm up and cool down, or investing in protective workout gear, can help you avoid injuries and keep active! 
 
Here are a few tips to keep injury free:
 
1. Slow and steady
Whether it’s training for a marathon or jumping back onto the golf course, be mindful to slowly ramp up the intensity, especially if you’re making a return after some time away! It's all about slowly building yourself and your abilities up, which ensures you stay enthusiastic and injury free. 
 
2. Stretch and strengthen your muscles 
Stretching, strengthening and losing weight all contribute to staying injury free. Keep it simple. Beware of twisting, pivoting or high-impact movements which are all movements that can strain the feet and ankles.
 
3. Listen to your body 
Gym goers and athletes often suffer shoulder and biceps injuries. But hips and the upper body can hurt at times even without an injury. If something hurts, switch up your workout and give those muscles a rest. Don’t push through pain, as this is likely to lead to injury. 
 
4. Focus on good posture and breathing
Posture is everything when it comes to strength training, and correct breathing is right up there too in terms of importance. Performing demanding exercises with incorrect posture is a big no in the gym and you should ensure you have a good PT to help ensure that you lift correctly and breathe correctly when lifting to avoid injury! 

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