It’s important to take care of your body to prevent injuries after a layoff. If you’ve been laid off by your employer in recent months, you may have turned to exercise as an outlet for killing time and releasing pent-up energy. While exercise provides both physical and mental benefits, you could sustain an injury before going back to work if you’re not careful. Read on to learn some steps you can take to work out safely and prevent bodily harm.
How to Prevent Injuries After a Layoff
It’s crucial to take the necessary injury prevention measures to reduce the risk of exercise-related problems after a layoff.
Practice Good Nutrition
If your previous job didn’t involve much physical activity, your body might be more vulnerable to injury due to idleness. That’s why it’s essential to eat a balanced diet. With the right vitamins and nutrients, you can make your body stronger.
Try to:
- Eat calories for energy and muscle strength.
- Get the calcium you need to keep your bones strong.
- Consume healthy fats to prevent muscle inflammation.
- Eat carbohydrates and protein to boost immune function.
- Consume antioxidants to prevent muscle damage.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, fried foods and processed meals.
Get a Physical Evaluation
Scheduling a fitness test with your doctor is a great way to determine if you have any health conditions or physical limitations that would prevent you from exercising safely. Physical fitness evaluations allow your primary care provider to alert you of these conditions and recommend modifications to your workout routine so that it’s as safe as possible.
Hire a Personal Trainer
If you’re new to working out, consider using a personal trainer as a resource for safe exercise techniques under expert supervision. Coaches are great at creating personalized programs designed especially for your body type. They can also give you exercise safety tips that will help you get in shape while preventing injury.
How Do You Exercise After Being Sedentary?
It’s important to know how to start exercising after a long period of time. If you’re looking to create your own workouts after being stagnant at work, take these steps first to prevent injury after a layoff.
Learn Proper Exercise Techniques
If you’re new to exercising, you might not know all the proper body positions and techniques necessary for injury prevention. To avoid accidentally harming your body, do your research and learn the correct forms involved in any exercises you want to implement into your workout routine.
Wear the Right Gear
Injury prevention after a layoff also means you should buy the proper clothing. Wear durable sneakers with good arch support and cushioning as well as loose-fitting clothing that allows for a wide range of movement.
Warm Up Adequately
Always warm up your muscles by stretching for five to 10 minutes before exercising. Be sure to do dynamic warmups and avoid passive stretches that can cause muscle tears. Once you’re adequately warmed up, you’re ready to workout.
Book Injury Treatment at OrthoBethesda
If you experience an injury after a layoff, choose OrthoBethesda for treatment. We provide orthopedic care for a variety of ailments and offer physical therapy, prescriptions, surgery, x-rays and post-operative evaluations. Our trained physicians have the skill and technology to administer treatment and help you understand your injury so you can get the most out of your care.
Contact us for more information about our services or schedule an online appointment today.