1. Never stretch before a cardio workout; save it for after when your muscles are warm and pliable.
2. If you're short on time, do stretches during your hot post-workout shower.
3. Delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS is the achy feeling your body experiences 24 to 48 hours after a strenuous workout. You can tell it's not an injury because you'll generally feel it on both sides of the body.
4. Self-massage your stiff, over-trained muscles by using a foam roller.
5. For aches and pains, it's important to know when to ice and when to apply heat, so check out this helpful chart.
6. Prevent common running injuries by strengthening weak areas.
7. To prevent shin splints on a treadmill, raise the incline to at least one percent - better yet, two.
8. To prevent plantar fasciitis, do this seated foot stretch.
9. Do dynamic stretches, also known as quick moving stretches, before your workout to warm up your joints. Do static stretches, also known as hold stretches, after your workout. Hold static stretches for at least 15 seconds or longer.
10. Rest days are essential for three reasons. They give your body time to repair and get stronger, help prevent injury, and offer you a mental break.
What do you do for recovery or injury prevention?