We are a sedentary society, so much so that we have to make time to physically work out our bodies to keep healthy. But there are dangers lurking in all endeavors we humans chase, and so it is with working out.

According to a study by the University of Arkansas, gym injuries are up 35 percent in recent years. Fitness expert and personal trainer Justin Price attributes the rise in injuries to poor posture during the day and trying to do “too much, too fast.” Too many reps, too much weight. It boils down to the same old song and dance.

It’s important to proceed with caution when it comes to working out. The good news is that are plenty of steps you can take to keep yourself off the injured list.

A word of caution: No matter how good a shape you may think you are in, if you are a man 45 years of age or older, or a woman, 55 years of age or older, visit your doctor before embarking on any new exercise routine. Even if you have been active all your life. A physical look-over won’t hurt and may disclose undiagnosed diseases or physiological limitations pertaining to the exercise you would like to start.  

The following tips will help you avoid injuring yourself as you embark on an exercise program. Or perhaps you will learn something new by perusing this list.

• Ease into your exercise program gradually. Start slowly and build up in intensity, duration and frequency. Don’t push yourself too hard. Some experts recommend starting with 20 minutes of working out three times a week. As your fitness increases, you will eventually be in a position to challenge yourself. But patience is definitely a virtue in this case.  
• “No pain, no gain” is a myth. Don’t push yourself until you feel twinges of pain; that is not a good sign. Muscle soreness and exhaustion is to be expected but not sharp points of pain.
• Listen to your body. Lightheadedness, weakness and sharp pain means you are overdoing it. One has to understand the difference between good pain and bad pain. Good pain adds up to muscle discomfort and bad pain is a sudden onset pain when you move the body part or touch it.
  

• KISS – keep it simple, silly. If tracking your heart and respiration rates on charts and graphs floats your boat, by all means, go for it. But if it means that this exercise thing is getting too complicated, drop all that and keep it fun and simple.
• Know where your trouble spots are. If you are particularly weak in one muscle area, you’ll want to build up strength there. Start out carefully with little to no weight.
• Hydrate. Drink water before, during and after your workout. Eight ounces 20 to 30 minutes before your workout; eight ounces every 10 to 20 minutes of exercise, and eight ounces when your workout is complete.
• Fuel your body. Eat a snack every two to three hours to keep your body steadily fueled. After your workout, eat a healthy carbohydrate and protein snack or small meal.
• Don’t forget to warm-up. Warm-ups are an important part of any workout. It increases blood flow to the muscles while decreasing blood viscosity. It also aids in mobility and flexibility. A warm muscle is more pliable than a cold one. Warm up before a workout and warm down after a workout.
• Stretch. This is not the same as warming up. Stretching makes your muscles neurologically alert, which makes the muscle pliable and injury-resistant. Stretching between sets promotes muscle circulation and increases flexibility of the muscle-tissue casing, the fascia. Stretch after you warm up and after you warm down for a slower cooling-off period. So far, there is conflicting information as to whether stretching prevents injuries. 
• Match your interests. This will add fun and motivation for you while working out. In other words, if you aren’t a fan of group activities, you’ll likely want to bypass classes. If you’re a bicycling enthusiast, opt for a spinning class. Seek out whatever floats your boat.
• Dress correctly. Wear the right gear for the type of exercising you will be doing. While biking, your clothes should fit snugly to cut down on wind resistance. And don’t forget safety equipment like bike helmets and for those on skates, arm yourself with elbow and knee pads.  
• Before you start a weight workout, hire a certified trainer who will show you the proper technique for each lift. He or she will be familiar with which muscles should be involved with a particular exercise, as well as mistakes commonly made by beginners. The trainer can also design a workout schedule specifically tailored to your needs. Once you are comfortable with your routine, you no longer require the services of a trainer.
  

• Set realistic goals. Remember, your body needs time to rest and recover from workouts whether walking or lifting weights. Don’t increase distance or weights too rapidly as this can set you up for injury.
• Be consistent. Do your workouts on a regular basis, even if your workouts are short. Don’t try to do a week’s worth of missed workouts in one long session. You could hurt yourself by overworking muscles and not using proper techniques.  
• Use the proper techniques. Regardless of the type of exercise you are doing, technique is everything. Not doing exercises properly can result in a pull, rip or sprain of a muscle or a tear of connective tissue, painful injuries that will sideline you for a while. Body parts are designed to move in certain positions and especially with weight-bearing exercises, the wrong move could result in a bad injury. So focus on making every rep a technically perfect one.
• Don’t use too much weight. By doing so, you have created a situation with high-injury potential. In weightlifting, you have to be able to control the weights. By lifting excess weight, you run the risk of losing control of the weight bar and injuring yourself or others around you.
• Use a spotter once you are lifting enough weight to require one. A spotter is someone who helps you lift weights that are heavy enough that you may require assistance getting the bar back to the rack. Make sure your spotter knows you well enough or is watchful enough to know where your failure point is. Also, ensure that your spotter takes the job seriously, and is not talking or joking with another person while you are doing the lift.
• Let your body rest. Rest is just as important to the exercise routine as the exercise itself. Most living beings need time for their muscles to recover after strenuous use. Alternating workouts with recovery is the recommended pattern. Some researchers feel that if you train all-year round, you may want to take a week off every three months to give your body complete rest.

Even the most careful or elite athlete can suffer injuries from their sport. There is always that risk. But if you can take something healthy and useful away from this, hopefully it is the message to do everything in moderation and have fun.