Worried About Musculoskeletal Injury? Try These Exercises.

Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of injury. It strengthens your cardiac and skeletal muscles, improving overall fitness and combating disease.

At the same time, exercise is also one of the most common causes of injury. Regularly performing an incorrect form can injure the muscles and damage the joints over time. For example, running has been linked to tendinopathies, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and iliotibial band syndrome.

These injuries (and many others) can occur during any form of exercise but don’t worry! You can still get your body moving without the risk of getting a musculoskeletal injury.

Here are some great low-impact exercises that are known to reduce your risk of getting injured. Implement a variety of these movements into your routine to maximize your strength and resilience.

Lateral Band Walks

Band walks are a low-intensity exercise with a shallow risk of injury. They can strengthen the hip joint by targeting the surrounding muscles, mainly the abductors. They can also help align the hips and knees by providing resistance for the muscles and tendons in the leg to work against.

To perform band walks, simply place a resistance band around your thighs and assume a half squat position. Step from side to side, maintaining tension in the band at all times.

Hyperextensions

There are few low-impact exercises that target the lower back better than hyperextensions. This exercise helps activate your glutes and lower back, reducing your risk of pulling or straining these muscles and relieving tension around the spine.

You can do hyperextensions on the floor, on a Swiss ball, or using a machine. If you don’t have access to a machine, lie face down on a soft mat on the floor or your Swiss ball. Make sure your whole body is aligned.

Keeping your leg straight, squeeze your glutes to lift your legs in the air behind you. Hold this position for 5 seconds before gently returning them to the floor. You can do this exercise with alternating legs too.

Front Lunges

Front lunges are another great exercise to strengthen the hip and knee joints and the lower body muscles and tendons. They also challenge your balance and mobility, which are key skills when it comes to preventing falls and injuries.

To perform a front lunge, begin in a standing position. Step forward with one leg and bend at both knees until they are 90 degrees. Use the front foot to push yourself back up to a starting position. Repeat this on the other leg.

You can use front lunges as part of your workout by adding extra weight. Hold a dumbbell in one hand or place a light barbell on your shoulders. Alternatively, you can perform the exercise before your main workout as a lower-body warm-up.