Spinal injury risk 'reduced by warming up'RSS Feed

People can significantly reduce their risk of spinal injury and other physical ailments by warming up properly prior to exercise, an expert has said.

Dr Pietro Tonino, an orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois, stressed that "gradual" is the key word to bear in mind, reports the Naperville Sun.

"Your body can begin to build tolerance for a more strenuous workout if you pace yourself and use common sense," he explained.

People should stretch and loosen their muscles before physical activity, he continued, and they should begin at a 50 per cent level of activity before gradually increasing it by ten per cent over a period of several weeks.

Dr Tonino also advised people to mix up the type of sports they take part in, as this can minimise the stress on particular parts of the body due to repetitive activities.

His comments appear to tie in with those of Debbie Haws, who suggested in an article for SouthBendTribune.com that people who have several months of inactivity may be at greater risk of experiencing spinal cord injuries.

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