Working out means straining your muscles. You need to push beyond the relative comfortable zones in which you can easily complete a series of reps in order to develop strength. That means your biceps, quads, abs, or any other muscle group, run the risk of getting damaged. Not lifting properly or pushing too hard can strain and tear your muscles and leave you damaged. Getting the ability to work the muscles again takes time, and often the only option for healing is letting your body rest. But there are things you can do to speed up recovery.

Caring for your body means being prepared. Simply jumping into activities without the proper warm-up or preconditioning can leave you in serious trouble. Muscle strains – also known as pulled muscles – often occur due to lack of readiness, or an unwillingness to acknowledge limits. Maybe you were able to swing from the monkey-bars like nobodies business when you were young, but it doesn’t mean you can do it still!

With nicer weather and your new commitment to get active, remember to warm up. As we all get excited this time of year to get outside and start running around and playing sports such as tennis or baseball or simply jogging, we sometimes overlook the fact that we have been less active through the winter months.  When we jump right into a new activity without a proper warm up, we are more likely to strain ourselves and get hurt.