Avoiding Repetitive Stress Injuries is Easy with These Fitness Tips

Repetitive stress injury occurs when a joint, muscle, or tendon is overexerted. It is caused by repeating the same movements over and over again. When too much stress is placed on a specific area of the body it can cause pain, inflammation, and tissue damage. Many sports such as running, tennis, golf, and biking are known for repetitive motion injuries. You want to avoid these overuse injuries when you exercise. Repetitive stress injuries can occur in feet, ankles, knees, elbow, wrists, back, and neck. These joints can be weight bearing and are all associated with repetitive exercises. The symptoms of repetitive stress injuries include numbness or tingling in the area, pain, swelling, and redness. You may also experience lack of flexibility of that joint. Here are a few tips to help prevent repetitive stress injuries when exercising:

Transition period: Many people spend the majority of their day sitting at a desk or a computer. This weakens the joints and the muscles and tendons surrounding them. These weakened areas are the most likely to get injured by a repetitive stress injury. Focus on strengthening these joints before tackling a more difficult exercise program.

Start slow: Whenever you are starting a new exercise program, ease into the exercises. Only do "three sets of twenty" if you know you can do it. If you cannot do the required exercises, reduce the number of sets.

Proper posture while exercising: Proper posture is crucial when exercising. You could risk a serious back, neck, or ankle injury if your body is out of alignment. This is especially true for runners. Repetitive stress injuries in runners can occur in the feet or legs. If you do not have a proper running technique then you can risk a repetitive stress injury.