Flourish: Are you a weekend warrior?

It’s great to be excited and motivated to start a new exercise routine or program. But if you take on too much too fast (the “weekend warrior” phenomenon), you’re at a higher risk of injury — especially if you haven’t exercised in a while or have certain conditions.

Increase your physical activity safely:

• Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.
• Start slow and steady. Avoid doing too much in a short amount of time. Instead, space out your exercise sessions and increase gradually the length of time and intensity.
• Warm up and cool down. Our bodies need this time to gradually warm up our cardiovascular system and then to recover.
• Use proper form and equipment. Group fitness classes like Juniper’s are beneficial because class leaders will make sure you’re doing the exercises correctly and safely.

Source: Mayo Clinic