Overtraining

One indication of overtraining is your resting pulse. If your pulse first thing in the morning is 10 or more beats more than normal, you may be suffering from overtraining. Other indications are unusual (for you) fatigue and a lack of enthusiasm for your workouts. Try cutting back for a week and see if you feel better. If you have fever or other such symptoms, see your doctor.

Sit Up Straight

See if you can program your computer to remind you to correct your posture every 20 or 30 minutes. This can reduce the neck and shoulder pain you get from slouching over the keyboard for extended periods of time. If the computer won't cooperate, remind yourself some other way, by getting your watch to beep or even using Post-it notes.

Alcohol and Working Out

Never drink alcohol before you work out, even if you´re not going to exercise for several hours. Your reflexes can still be compromised, plus your hydration is affected. Do your run or other workout, rehydrate with water, then have a beer if you must. It´s best to skip the drink completely before a big competition because effects can linger to the next day.

Watch Your Shadow

The safest time to exercise outdoors without getting too much sun exposure is when your shadow is longer than your height. When it´s shorter than you are, the sun is too high in the sky and you should limit your sun exposure. Wear sun screen in any case.

Exercise After Cortisone

Do not do intense exercise for two weeks after a cortisone injection, because the tissue is weakened. Since cortisone is catabolic, injections should be a last-case or emergency scenario.

Ballistic Rotation

Ballistic rotational movements of the spine, where you twist quickly and with little control, are a major cause of neck and low back pain, because of stress on the discs and other structures. Don´t do it--practice sports injury prevention.

Prescription Drugs

Prescription and over-the-counter drugs can have side effects that impair your workout or sports performance. Check with a pharmacist to see whether what you´re taking affects exercise.

Knee Injuries

Physical activity does not increase the risk of arthritis of the knee, but a previous knee injury may. Activity is actually good for your knee, as it activates the knee's natural lubrication, but use good technique to avoid injury.

Donating Blood

Recreational endurance athletes who donate blood should skip training that day and the next while rehydrating with lots of fluid. You may want to skip another day, or take it easy, if you don't feel quite right.

Protective Eyewear

For preventing eye injury during sports, wear goggles and other eye protection that are designed for the sport, not for street wear. Goggles are a necessity for racketball and recommended for other racket sports, handball, basketball, and lacrosse. Use approved goggles for water polo and face shields for hockey.

Kickboxing Safety

Cardio kickboxing is popular and fun, but there is a risk of injury. The American Council on Exercise suggests preventing injury by avoiding overextension on kicks, not locking joints when punching or kicking, not wearing weights or holding dumbbells when you work out which can stress joints, and not pushing beyond your present ability. This can apply to karate and other martial arts classes as well.

Leg Cramps

If leg cramps are a problem for you, try drinking 8 oz of tonic water daily. The quinine in it can help reduce the frequency of leg cramps.

Ice Massage

Use ice massage for shin splints or other hard-to-icebag areas. Freeze some water in a heavy paper or styrofoam cup. Peel back the top of the cup to expose the ice and hold the cup. Rub ice lightly over the sore area.

Foot Pain

To relieve pain on the heel or sole of your foot, roll the foot back and forth over a cold soft drink can. Better yet, freeze a paper cup filled with water and use that. Make sure to stretch your Achilles tendon regularly.

Feeling Dizzy

If you feel dizzy during or after a workout or race, lie down. Do not sit or stand still. The cause may be minor, but if you stand or sit your blood pressure can fall dangerously low and cause you to faint.

Lying down will usually normalize your blood pressure, and also keep you from getting hurt if you fall. Check with a doctor after to identify the cause.

Shin Splints

To prevent shin splints, strengthen the front of your lower leg by lifting the side of a weight plate with your toes (heel on the ground) or walking around on your heels, then stretch your calves. If you have mild shin splints, cut back on your running, ice afterwards, and check that your shoes aren´t worn out. A severe case calls for time off running and a trip to the doc.

Avoiding Elbow Pain

If you´re starting to feel discomfort after your tennis game or golf match, it may be time to make an appointment with a pro to check your form. Poor technique or ill-fitting equipment can be a cause of elbow problems, and you may be able to head the problem off before it gets bad. Working the antagonistic muscles, like the extensor muscles, which are the opposite of the ones you grab with (flexor) will also help with elbow injury prevention.

First Aid

Remember R.I.C.E.--rest, ice, compression, elevation--as first aid for joint and muscle injuries. Note that it's ice, not heat for the first 48 hours or as long as swelling is present. Even if you have an injury like a bad ankle sprain that requires medical attention, ice it right away, then go to the doctor, unless you can get to the doc in a few minutes.

Precautions for Sore Rotator Cuff

If you have shoulder/rotator cuff soreness, keep your hands where you can see them when working out. This means no behind the neck presses or pulldowns, no military presses, and no deep bench presses.

Ankle Sprain

Ankle sprains are the most common athletic injury and can recur because the ligaments, once stretched out, do not easily return to their original state. Make sure you do stretching and rehab after the injury to keep from spraining that ankle again. A few weeks off with proper rehab can keep the injury from hanging around for months, sometimes years.