Some people want to build big muscles. Others want to train for a specific sport or activity. However, most people really just want to keep their bodies strong and healthy to prevent or eliminate it. painful situations.
If you fall into the camp of people who want to avoid pain, this article is for you!
In this post, I’ll go over some of the best exercises to bulletproof your body against common injuries. After doing these for a few months, you can think is progressing to more advanced movements. But if you’re just starting out, this routine will be a great choice for your goals.
The importance of exercise for the whole body
Often, people starting an exercise program will develop asymmetries due to an improperly structured routine. For example, if you only do push-ups and no pull-ups for your upper body, you may start to develop rounded shoulders. In turn, rounded shoulders can predispose you to neck and upper back pain.
It is important to do some movements for each part of your body. The ones I’ve listed below are isolation exercises, meaning they only stress a few small muscles in each exercise. This is a good place to start for beginners as it teaches you good habits and helps you strengthen any initial deficits you may have in the beginning.
Top 5 Exercises for Injury Prevention
In this section, you will find 5 exercises that can help you keep your body strong and injury free. This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many great exercises and plans out there. But if you’re new to the gym or looking for a simple way to hit most of the major problem areas of the body, this routine could work well for you.
Let’s take a look!
1. Planks
Planks are an isometric isolation exercise for the abs. This is one of the best moves to ensure you have strong, functional abs. Strong core muscles help you avoid back pain and other common injuries.
How to perform
- Start on hands and knees.
- Then place your forearms on the ground and extend your legs behind you, placing your toes on the floor.
- Make sure your back is straight and your abs are contracted.
- Hold this pose for 1 minute and repeat 3 times per session, 2-3 times a week.
2. Lateral straight leg raise
One of the most common gait problems is known as the Trendelenburg gait pattern. Without getting too technical, this problem is mainly caused by weak hip abductors. By keeping them strong with exercises like this, you can avoid many different painful issues.
How to perform
- Lie on your right side with your legs straight.
- Lift your left leg up toward the ceiling, keeping your knee straight and your toe pointing forward.
- Perform 10-15 repetitions, for 3 sets, 2-3 times per week.
3. Step Ups
As simple as it sounds, just walking up and down the stairs is a great way to strengthen your lower body.
How to perform
- Approach a set of stairs and place your right foot on the stair, with your left foot on the ground.
- Using only your right leg, lift yourself up so that you are standing on the step with both feet.
- Return your left leg to the ground and repeat for 10-15 reps for 3 sets on each side 2-3 times per week.
4. Calf raises in step
Stairs are making a comeback in our exercise program! Our calf muscles are so important to our health and function. We have to be sure to keep them as strong as possible.
How to perform
- Stand on a step with your heel hanging off the back.
- Lift your body up by pushing your toes and the ball of your foot into the step.
- Return to the starting position to complete the repetition.
- Perform 10-15 repetitions per set, for 3 sets per session, 2-3 times per week.
5. Back Chain Stretch
The previous exercises were all focused on strengthening. This movement focuses on stretching the main muscles in the back of the body.
How to perform
- In a standing position, place your feet close together.
- Bend forward at the waist and touch your toes.
- Hold this pose for 30 seconds and repeat 4 times per session, 5-7 times per week.
conclusion
Avoiding pain in this day and age is a full-time job. Our lifestyle predisposes us to many painful situations. Fortunately, by exercising daily (or at least three times a week), you can avoid and reduce the intensity of many different painful problems.
Try this routine and see what you think!
The tasks listed
- Lima LV, Abner TSS, Sluka KA. Does exercise increase or decrease pain? Central mechanisms governing these two phenomena. J Physiol. 2017 Jul 1;595(13):4141-4150. doi: 10.1113/JP273355. Epub 2017 May 26. PMID: 28369946; PMCID: PMC5491894.
- Plotkin D, Coleman M, Van Every D, Maldonado J, Oberlin D, Israetel M, Feather J, Alto A, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ. Progressive overload without progressive load? The effects of load progression or repetition on muscular adaptations. PeerJ. 2022 Sep 30;10:e14142. doi: 10.7717/peerj.14142. PMID: 36199287; PMCID: PMC9528903.
