Everyone wants a body that works as great as it looks. But your workout is just part of the plan for building your best body. “What you do before or after your workout can keep you injury-free and lay the foundation for greater gains in the future,” says Steven Devor, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at The Ohio State University. That’s why we turned to three Olympians for their best advice on how to stay pain-free and avoid watching from the sidelines.

1) Fire Up Your Muscles

Team USA water polo captain Tony Azevedo never skips a warmup. “Before I get in that water, I’m sweating. My body is 100 percent warm,” says the 30-year-old. Azevedo’s pre-workout routine has helped make him a pool powerhouse. So powerful, in fact, that London is his fourth Olympic Games. Tony Azevedo is a master at keeping his body injury-free. A warmup is a necessary component to staying injury-free, says Devor. Think about your muscle tissue like a rubber band. A rubber band will stretch better in hot weather than cold weather, he says. That’s why you need to warm up the tissue before you put it through a rigorous workout.

However, it’s only advantageous if you perform the right type of warmup. Although it’s long been held as an injury-prevention measure, static stretching before a workout is a bad idea, he says. Try dynamic stretching instead. “You’ll get your blood flowing, activate muscle fibers, and increase your range of motion,” Devor explains. “This will prepare your muscles for almost any activity.”

Start by slowly increasing your body temperature, says Devor. Jump rope, walk or jog, or do jumping jacks for one to two minutes. Then, perform five to eight bodyweight exercises—like cross-behind lunges and sumo squat to stand—for 5 to 10 reps each. Do the movements in a circuit, completing one set of each exercise without resting. Increase your range and tempo with each repetition. (Get the latest cutting-edge bodyweight moves by signing up for our free Exercise of the Week newsletter.)

2) Put Yourself on Ice

This Olympian may bring the heat when he’s on the mat, but Jordan Burroughs turns the temperature down post-workout. To aid recovery, the 23-year-old jumps into a tub filled with 50-degree water. “The cold tub prevents swelling and muscle fatigue,” he says.  You can benefit from cold or ice baths, too, says Devor. After an intense sweat session, your tendons and ligaments can become inflamed. Over time, these connective tissues—which attach muscle to bone or bone to bone—can fatigue. “That’s when injuries like plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome, and knee pain occur,” he says.

Submerging the aggravated areas in cold or ice water like Burroughs, however, can relieve stiffness and swelling and fend off potential damage. In fact, a new review article published in The Cochrane Library found that cold-water immersion could help reduce muscle soreness between 15 and 20 percent in the 24 to 96 hours after a tough workout. Try it after your next rigorous workout. Aim for the water temperature between 54 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit. (You can always throw in some ice if you want it colder.) Then, stay in the water for 1 to 5 minutes. Too severe? Try immersing yourself for 30-second intervals to begin, suggests Devor.

3) Stop, Drop, and Foam Roll

Nastia Liukin knows what it’s like to be sidelined: The 2008 Olympic all-around champion in gymnastics has suffered an ankle injury, a shoulder injury, and most recently failed to qualify for the London Olympics.  But even though you won’t see her in London, there’s still plenty you can learn from her—she is a nine-time world champion, after all. That’s why she focuses on foam rolling to increase her flexibility and keep her muscles functioning properly. “Even if you get massage therapy, you can’t always get into the same muscles that a form roller can,” says Liukin.

Let’s be honest: You probably don’t need the same amount of flexibility a female Olympic gymnast does. But you do need to foam roll, says Devor. Foam rolling loosens and smooths out fascia—a tough layer of connective tissue that encloses all of your muscles—that can become inflamed and knotted over time. “Releasing and lengthening the fascia will reduce your risk of inflammation,” he explains. “Because of that, you’ll be less likely to have an injury in that muscle.”  At first, you might find foam rolling uncomfortable as you discover parts of the fascia that are tight and tender. That’s why Devor recommends starting with the softest foam roller possible and working your way up to firmer rollers as you progress. If you roll regularly, you’ll notice the muscles will become less sore with each session.

Written by Jill Yaworski in Mens Health News

1)You Will Be Physically Stronger – Increasing your strength will make you far less dependent upon others for assistance in daily living. Chores will be easier, lifting kids, groceries and laundry will no longer push you to the max. If your maximum strength is increased, daily tasks and routine exercise will be far less likely to cause injury. Research studies conclude that even moderate weight training can increase a woman’s strength by 30 to 50 percent. Research also shows that women can develop their strength at the same rate as men.

2)You Will Lose Body Fat – Studies performed by Wayne Westcott, PhD, from the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, found that the average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for two months will gain nearly two pounds of muscle and will lose 3.5 pounds of fat. As your lean muscle increases so does your resting metabolism, and you burn more calories all day long. Generally speaking, for each pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35 to 50 more calories each day. That can really add up.

3)You Will Gain Strength Without Bulk – Researchers also found that unlike men, women typically don’t gain size from strength training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy. You will, however, develop muscle tone and definition. This is a bonus.

4)You Decrease Your Risk Of Osteoporosis – Research has found that weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density (and enhance bone modeling) by 13 percent in six months. This, coupled with an adequate amount of dietary calcium, can be a women’s best defense against osteoporosis.

5)You Will Improve Your Athletic Performance – Over and over research concludes that strength training improves athletic ability in all but the very elite athletes. Golfers can significantly increase their driving power. Cyclists are able to continue for longer periods of time with less fatigue. Skiers improve technique and reduce injury. Whatever sport you play, strength training has been shown to improve overall performance as well as decrease the risk of injury.

6)You Will Reduce Your Risk Of Injury, Back Pain and Arthritis – Strength training not only builds stronger muscles, but also builds stronger connective tissues and increases joint stability. This acts as reinforcement for the joints and helps prevent injury. A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening the low-back muscles had an 80 percent success rate in eliminating or alleviating low-back pain. Other studies have indicated that weight training can ease the pain of osteoarthritis and strengthen joints.

7)You Will Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease – According to Dr. Barry A. Franklin, of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, weight training can improve cardiovascular health in several ways, including lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. When cardiovascular exercise is added, these benefits are maximized.

8)You Will Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes – In addition, Dr. Franklin noted that weight training may improve the way the body processes sugar, which may reduce the risk of diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months.

9)It Is Never Too Late To Benefit – Women in their 70s and 80s have built up significant strength through weight training and studies show that strength improvements are possible at any age. Note, however, that a strength training professional should always supervise older participants.

10)You Will Improve Your Attitude And Fight Depression – A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did. Women who strength train commonly report feeling more confident and capable as a result of their program, all important factors in fighting depression.

Written by Elizabeth Quinn. June 2011

Are you surprised by that number? I sure was! We don’t often think about how little time it takes to keep ourselves in shape. Take a moment and think about all the things in your day that takes an hour. How many of those things are more important than working out? I dare you to make an excuse! Sure, there are a few valid ones, but chances are yours doesn’t qualify….with all due respect:)

Come on…lets admit it. We have all thought the same thing. Is it worth all of this? I know I sure have…and everytime doubt creeps in, past experience comes shining through. One of the hardest things to do is start something new. We are creatures of habit and can’t help but gravitate towards the easy choice. The thing is, easy doesn’t pay off like we hope it would. True satisfaction comes out of taking the harder path.
When it comes to your health, that harder path reaps benefits across EVERYTHING in your life. This optimal health thing is easy yet complex. Even those people that seem to have it all together have room for improvement…thats one of our common threads. Here is the question I want you to ask yourself: Am I striving for optimal health? If your answer is Yes, then congratulations…KEEP IT UP! If your answer is No, then let me encourage you to pick one (just 1) element and commit to making a change….then repeat that process for the rest of your life. IT IS WORTH IT!

Insert yourself HERE!

This is one of the little bridges that can be found on the Bells Mountain trail right in our own back yard. I love to run and ride up there. I love to set goals for myself and this year they may be a little more lofty than normal. I plan on doing a handfull of endurance mountain bike races (20-50 miles) and a 24 hours adventure race. Places like this will be much of my training ground.

What’s YOUR resolution?