Exercise safety Part 2

Stop exercising immediately

Stop exercising and seek medical help if you experience symptoms such as:

• Discomfort or pain
• Chest pain or other pain that could indicate a heart attack, including pain in the neck and jaw, pain traveling down the arm or pain between the shoulder blades
• Extreme breathlessness
• A very rapid or irregular heartbeat during exercise.

Exercises that could be harmful

Some exercises that involve fast or repetitive twisting, or long-lasting or held movements are best avoided because they can cause damage to bones and muscles. When deciding if any exercise is safe, you need to consider the technique and the load, as well as your personal circumstances, such as any previous injuries and your fitness level.

Bouncing while stretching

It is mistakenly believed that 'bouncing' as you stretch (ballistic stretching) helps muscles to stretch further. Sudden overstretching stimulates the stretch reflex causing the muscles to contract even tighter in an attempt to prevent injury. Bouncing is counterproductive as it can cause small tears to the muscle tissue, which are experienced as muscle soreness or tenderness.

Suggestions include:

• Don’t bounce.
• Concentrate on slow, sustained stretches.
• Hold the stretch for 10 to 20 seconds.
• Once the muscle feels comfortable, gently increase the stretch and then hold again.