New Year, new goals: Avoiding injuries while starting your fitness journey in 2025

What’s your New Year’s resolution? According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 80% of people who made New Year’s resolutions in 2024 focused on their health, exercise or diet. While fitness centers typically see a surge in attendance during the first few months of the year, injuries often cause participation to decline as the year progresses. Many of these injuries are preventable and are commonly a result of issues like unsafe techniques, improper footwear, insufficient recovery time and poor training routines.

High motivation after the holidays can lead to overuse trauma or doing too much too soon. If your body is not used to regular exercise, it’s important to gradually and safely increase the frequency and intensity of workouts to help minimize your risk of injury. A slow ramp-up period helps prevent excessive stress to muscles and joints, which can lead to a variety of orthopedic issues. Anyone new to exercise, regardless of age, should consider consulting with a personal trainer to help design a safe and appropriate wellness program. It’s also important to listen to your body. Delayed onset muscle soreness, known as DOMS, is common after starting exercise or working new muscle groups and should only last 24-48 hours. Pain lasting more than a couple of days is not a normal response to exercise and may require consultation with a physical therapist or healthcare professional to assist with recovery.

January is also the start of training season for the Pittsburgh Marathon. Held on the first Sunday in May, there are a variety of events including the full and half marathon, relay, 5K, four-mile fitness challenge and one-mile walk. No matter the distance, there are many strategies to help prevent training injuries, such as wearing the proper footwear. Finding the right shoes is critical as there are different styles of running shoes for every type of foot. High-arched feet often require shoes with greater cushioning while lower-arched feet typically require a shoe with more control or support. Replacing running shoes every 500 miles is essential to prevent injury, as worn-out shoes lose their design purpose and significantly increase the risk of foot and lower extremity injuries. Most major brands offer a range of styles that meet the needs of different foot shapes. Each step while running can place up to seven times your body weight in stress on weight-bearing joints like your knees, ankles and hips. Wearing well-fitted running shoes designed for your needs can provide a strong foundation, helping to reduce the risk of injury and lessen the force of this high-impact activity.

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Although we’re in the middle of winter, local golfers are already looking forward to spring, with some even traveling to warmer weather to enjoy their favorite hobby. However, the physical demands of swinging a golf club can add a lot of stress and torque to the spine, hips and knees, making injury prevention important for golfers. A strong core, good joint mobility and proper muscle flexibility are all important for maintaining the balance between stability and mobility needed for optimal performance and injury prevention. Golfers can benefit from sport-specific stretches, mobility exercises and strengthening plans that not only help prevent injuries but also enhance performance on the course. Simple, effective tools like a stretch strap and a resistance band are easy to keep in your golf bag. With a well-designed program, you can perform these exercises right on the course in just a few minutes. Investing a small amount of time can lead to significant rewards for your heath and your game.

Cross-training is a highly recommended way to prevent injury, regardless of your primary form of exercise. Training and working the same muscle groups repetitively can cause them to wear down over time. Cross-training, which involves performing a variety of exercises like biking, swimming, group classes, weight training, walking, yoga and Pilates, is a great way to mix up your workouts. This variation also helps avoid boredom and enhances motivation. In addition, proper warm-up and cool-down stretches are extremely important. Dynamic stretches, like walking lunges, jumping jacks or high knee lifts, are active movements that engage and move the joints through their full range of motion, helping to warm up the body and improve flexibility. On the other hand, static stretches, such as hamstring, calf or quadriceps stretches, involve holding a single position for an extended period to lengthen muscles and reduce stiffness.

The benefits of exercise are well documented, and with the right precautions, you can set yourself up for success in the New Year and stay on track with your resolutions. Here’s to a healthy, injury-free start to the New-Year! PJC

*As always, consult your physician if you have any concerns about starting a new exercise program.

Scott Rosen, PT, DPT is the clinic director of PT@JCC, the Jewish Association on Aging’s outpatient physical therapy clinic located at the JCC in Squirrel Hill.