Fitness straining

Resolving to get fit can end in agony, so be smart when trying to get in shape.

- By CATHERINE FORREST

IT'S a case of new year, new injuries for many Brits who have vowed to get fit. Increasing activity is the UK’s most popular resolution - and gym attendance jumps by more than a quarter in January. But so, too, do visits to injury clinics and physiotherapists.

Professor Adam Taylor, an expert in exercise injuries at Lancaster University, says: “The body adapts to exercise gradually. When it is pushed beyond what it is ready for, the risk of injury rises and pain does not always appear straight away.”

Failing to warm up is a huge issue, with research showing warm-up routines that focus on injury prevention reduce the risk of pain problems by up to 60%. But 27% of adults don't do any form of warm up before working out and, not surprisingly, 42% have sustained an exercise-related injury.

Elyn Marwick, a personal trainer, coach and international CrossFit competitor, says these simple steps will help you avoid picking up an injury and sabotaging your fitness goals

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail