Avoiding injury this winter

So, what’s the key to avoiding injury this winter?

With the temperature dropping, it’s even easier to hurt ourselves when working out. In the colder weather, our muscles tend to be a little tighter because our core temperatures are lower.

With tight muscles comes less elasticity, making the muscles far more susceptible to injury while we’re working out. If you’re prone to injury or just don’t want to risk it, make sure you’re extra vigilant with your winter warm-ups.

Check out these tips from Fitness First’s Chris Ward on how to avoid injury this winter.

10 minutes of mobilising prior to your workout will help protect your muscles from injury and allow you to perform at your best, even when the cold weather starts to set in,’ says Chris.

Try Chris’s mobilising routine below. Start with small movements and gradually increase the range of motion and speed.

Hip and shoulder mobiliser

Start by imagining you’re in the centre of a clock face. With your hands on your hips, lunge forward with your right foot to 12 o’clock, keeping your body upright and your tummy tight, and then coming back to the centre.

Now lunge to your side, to 3 o’clock, then 9 o’clock in a sort of ‘curtsey’ fashion, where your right foot lunges behind your stationary left foot. Finally, lunge backwards to 6 o’clock, before swapping to move the left foot around the clock.

After completing this set, progress with the next sets by:

Raising the opposite arm into the air above your head as you lunge around the clock.

Raising both arms into the air as you lunge around the clock.

For more tips on avoiding injury visit fitnessfirst.co.uk