As the highly anticipated spring temperatures arrive, most people are more than ready to begin their outdoor activities. Whether your game is walking, running, softball, hiking or gardening you will need to gradually get back into shape to avoid injuries.

Jumping right back into strenuous exercise after a long winter of inactivity can potentially lead to a higher risk for injury. Even those who exercise regularly are at risk for injury as they take on new challenges or change their routines. The old adage "good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgement" holds true for both experienced and novice exercisers alike. Bad judgement, poor choices, and common exercise mistakes can lead to several different types of aches, pains and injuries that affect the ability to maintain a commitment to an exercise program.

The most common thype of exercise related injury is not actually a single injury like a pulled muscle or broken bone, but rather a series of injuries leading to "overuse" or "chronic" injuries. These series of injuries can be over several weeks, months or even years. These events can irritate or weaken a part of the body to the point where exercise becomes painful or even impossible.

Some common types of overuse injuries include runner's knee, tennis elbow, "little leaguer's" elbow, shin splints, plantar fascitis, low back pain, shoulder tendonitis or bursitis. Stresses that we place on our bodies too soon after starting a workout regimen can build over time causing aching kneecaps, stress fractures, back pain, shoulder pain, tender tendons or strained muscles. However, you don't have to exercise very hard or even for a long period of time to develop an overuse injury. Worn out shoes, uneven or unforgiving running surfaces, poor body alignment, and muscular imbalances can all contribute to these types of injuries.

Next week we will explain common mistakes made when getting into shape and how to avoid making them....