A little preparation and patience will go a long way to prevent an injury. The most common causes of an injury are:

• progressing too quickly;
• having an inadequate warm up period;
• performing the exercise improperly;
• exercising too hard for your current level of conditioning; and
• having improper shoes to match the activity.

It is important to recognise the difference between normal exercise induced muscle ache and a potential injury. A bit of muscle aches and pains are to be expected after using muscles that haven't been used in a while.

In fact, initially you should expect a bit of soreness anywhere from 24 - 72 hours after your first few exercise sessions. The aches will go away in a couple of days and the more fit you become, the less achy you will feel. Signs of potential injury are:

• sharp pain while exercising;
• swelling or heat from a joint;
• muscle pain that does not stop after you have warmed up; or
• chronic pain that is made worse with activity.

If, for any reason, you are unsure if you incurred an injury, please contact a Fitness Consultant at your Club.

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