It’s no secret that the INSANITY workout is intense. Six days a week you work out, from cardio circuits to plyometrics, ranging from thirty minutes to an hour, leaping and sprinting and squatting and dropping down into push ups. Usually most workouts operate on a day on, day off schedule, allowing your body to recover and adapt slowly to your new routine, but INSANITY keeps on the pressure from the get-go. This is why it’s slated as a workout for experienced athletes–not because novices might lack willpower or determination, but rather because they won’t have the conditioning necessary to prevent their bodies from falling apart after the first few weeks. So how do you prevent your joints from getting all banged up and sore? Even a conditioned athlete will run into trouble if he’s not careful. In today’s post, we’ll look at some options, and see if we can’t help prevent your joints from flaring up 😉
The first and easiest move is to do the Insanity workout on a yoga mat. The cushioning that a good, firm mat will provide is infinitely preferable to the hard surfaces you might already be working on, whether that’s cement in your garage to whatever hard surface may be in your house. The problem with working out on a carpet is that you will sweat copiously onto the floor, and after sixty days, end up with one stinky patch of carpet in your living room. Working out on a good plyometrics mat or yoga mat will not only cushion your joints from that endless impact, but will catch the sweat and are easily cleaned.
Another excellent idea is to carefully stretch before each DVD workout. Yes, Insanity includes a warm-up at the beginning of each workout, but if you’ve done it, you know that it’s much more intense than any warm up usually is. A good idea is to therefor do your own warm-up before even pressing play, paying particular attention to your joints and their flexibility. Remember, when warming up your joints, be gentle and never force them; sometimes a good warm-up can be some simple cardio just to elevate your body warmth, for a slow jog around the block to a series of slow squats.
Finally, if despite those two measures you still find your knees getting crunching and ankles becoming crackly, try taking a solid supplement called Joint Support Super Formula, which has a potent blend of glucosamine and collagen II. Glucosamine is a molecule used in the formation and repair of cartilage and other body tissues. Production of glucosamine slows with age, while collagen Type II is essential for healthy bones, hair and skin. It also comes with a healthy dose of vitamin C, and will help your body repair your joints as quickly as you may be wearing them out.
So! Be aware of these issues as you begin your Insanity workout, and be careful with those joints. If you don’t have the joint conditioning necessary going in, you just might end up having to stop due to injury. And nothing can be more frustrating.
