How to start your injury-free fitness journey, according to experts

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan – As the weather warms up, many people are starting new fitness journeys or training for a race.

13 ON YOUR SIDE Visit Corewell Health’s Sports Performance Center to learn how to prevent injuries while being physically active.

“I think one of the biggest things to consider is that one of the biggest causes of injury is doing too soon,” said Grant Geib, performance manager.

Geib said, “consistency trumps intensity.” Don’t try to run a 5K on your first day of training. Set goals and run over time. Consistency and logical progression over time leads to better and more sustainable success.

“If you do a bad workout, then you can’t come back for a week, and then you try to come back too much, often you get caught in this cycle and end up with injuries and overtraining,” says Geib.

Also, choose a destination. If there’s a race you’re training for or another fitness goal, work backwards from that date to create a plan.

“So say, ‘okay, this is going to be the hardest day I’m going to have when I get to August,'” Geib said. “Let me roll it back, and scale it back down, so I can progress week by week, month by month, until I’m there and I’m in the perfect position to succeed and be ready for the task at hand.”

Geib says one of the first red flags people get when starting a new exercise plan is shin splints.

“Shin splints, knee pain, ankle pain, hips and low back pain are often your body’s way of telling you, ‘Hey, this is a warning sign.’ There is something to be said here that needs to be listened to, that needs to be followed,” said Geib. “It could be as simple as I need to stretch a little bit more. I need to warm up a little bit better. I need to put some things back into alignment and adjust some body positions or techniques. But if you ignore their signals, they become bad.”

Activities are only one piece of the puzzle. Make sure you sleep well and fill your body with enough water and food.

Geib says the foundation for everything is movement. He walked 13 ON YOUR SIDE through five movement exercises to do as a warm-up before the activity to help prevent injuries.

• Ankle mobility exercises: Work on ankle dorsiflexion by pressing your feet against the wall, keeping your heels on the ground. Try to push your knee over the toe as far as it will go, bending the knee, while keeping the heel on the ground. Hold for five seconds and go back.

• Knee lock: Lying on the ground, pull the knee back towards the chest, and try to straighten the leg out and hold it. Relax, and control back down. This stretches the hamstring.

• Lower the single leg: Work hamstring mobility and activate hip flexors. Lying on the ground, put your hands out to the side, raise both legs in the air, and alternate lowering one leg at a time.

• 90/90 hip rollover: Stretch the glutes. Sit down on the floor and put both legs at 90 degrees, shoulder square to the front knee, keep your back as straight as you can, and lean on the front hip to stretch the glute. Hold for five seconds and swivel the leg to the other side.

• Death bug: Work on core stability by lying on the ground on your back, putting your feet and hands up. Extend arms and legs on the opposite side, return to the center and do the other side. Make sure the lower back stays on the ground.

WATCH THE 5 EXERCISE VIDEOS HERE: