One of the great things about martial arts training, as well as our fitness program, is that it isn’t just exercise. Our training is designed to test your mind, push your limits and challenge your body. The constant variations and different styles of workouts means training at CMA will always keep you on your toes. However, as with any type of physical exercise, there is a potential risk when you don’t listen to your body or remain focused on each movement.
But there are things you can do from the get-go to help minimise the risk of injury. Here are our five steps to help you stay injury free when training.
1. Warm up
Launching straight into a workout without warming up your muscles and joints is an easy way to get injured. It might seem like a simple step, but it’s amazing how many people neglect doing a good warm up. If the timing is up to you then factor at least 5 minutes of warmup. If you are warming up as part of a class then make sure you listen to your body and if you aren’t quite warm when the main exercises commence then take it easy until you feel you are warm enough to put in 100%.
2. Practice good form
One of the keys to injury prevention is having good form. If you get your technique down and move well, your risk of picking up potentially damaging habits reduces.
3. Find support system
Whether it is the Instructor, Trainer or a class buddy, having someone there to keep an eye on your form will help you to avoid injury. Employing a buddy system is best practice and ensures you stay safe.
4. Maintain Body Awareness
Yes, you should push yourself a little. Afterall, most change comes from being outside your comfort zone. But listening to your body’s limits is also key to preventing injury. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses and learning when to push yourself or pull back will help reduce the risk of injury.
5. Post workout recovery
Always take a minimum of five minutes to cool down and stretch either at the end of class or when you get home. If you are a little sore, incorporating heat and massage into your recovery is a great way to loosen up any tightness. And remember, movement also aids recovery from muscle soreness – so don’t use it as a reason not to train, instead head to the dojang to workout.These simple steps are the key to consistent training allowing you to build your fitness, improve your skills and move forward in your journey, safely
Want to feel better, inside and out? The first step is getting started, one class isn’t going to be enough to get you on the road to fitness, so our 28 Day Foundation Program gives you unlimited access to over 20 classes each week to find your groove. All you need to do is CLICK HERE and complete the form. Then one of our coaches will call you right away to get you started.