Falls and injuries can become a real problem, especially if you’re an active athlete or as you’re getting older. One of the best ways to prevent injury in the future is to focus on building up your body’s strength with strength training.
At Rapid City Orthopedics, located in Rapid City, South Dakota, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine expert Dr. Joseph L Humpherys and his team treat common injuries like ankle sprains. Dr. Humpherys can also advise you on the right exercise program to build up your strength in key areas to lower your risk of re-injury.
Strength training can benefit your overall health and wellness in several ways. Strength exercises keep you in condition for your sport, increasing your speed, agility, and endurance. You may also want to build muscle mass or improve the amount you can lift. Furthermore, strength training improves your cardiac health and metabolism, keeping you in shape.
With the right strength training program, you can increase your muscle strength and the strength of your bones, tendons, and ligaments. Strength training actually increases your bone density, extra-important for women, who have a higher risk of osteoporosis and brittle bones, especially later in life.
You can also protect your long-term health and wellness with strength training by reducing your overall risk of injury. Not only does strengthening your body help you avoid falls – if your body is strong, you’re better able to take falls well and avoid significant injury.
Athletes often fall due to muscle imbalances. Targeted strength training addresses this, making sure that neighboring helper muscles are ready when needed to provide extra stability. When your bones and joints are stressed due to the uneven pull of a muscle imbalance, you’re more prone to wear-and-tear, so strength training is also important to prevent musculoskeletal damage over time.
Everyone has different training needs. The optimal strength training exercise program for you depends on multiple factors, including your age, general condition pre-treatment, and what, if any, sports or athletic activities in which you participate. Talk to Dr. Humpherys about the right exercise plan for you, and he can suggest approaches to protect you from painful, costly, and time-consuming injuries.
Strength training exercises rely on resistance as you go through a range of controlled motions. The resistance activates your muscles and engages your entire musculoskeletal system. Depending on the type of strength training your plan utilizes, you might need to adjust the amount of resistance or maintain a precise physical form.
Some people benefit most from working with machine weights. Or, you might prefer free weights — but make sure to use proper form! Exercises based on your body weight can also be a great way to get strong.
To learn more about the best strength training program to protect you from the debilitating long-term effects of injuries, contact Rapid City Orthopedics online or over the phone today and schedule your initial consultation appointment with Dr. Humpherys and his team.
