How do I avoid injuring myself when starting out?

The handful of things responsible for most beginner injuries, and what to do about each of them.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 15 min
Read: 2 min
Safety: caution

Short answer

Almost all beginner injuries come from doing too much too soon. Increase volume by roughly a tenth a week, learn each movement with little or no load first, and treat rest days as part of the programme rather than a lapse.

Beginner injuries are rarely dramatic. They are typically overuse — tendons and connective tissue adapt more slowly than muscles and cardiovascular fitness, so the point at which you feel capable of more arrives before your body is ready for it.

Safety

Sharp pain, pain in a joint, pain that persists after stopping, or any swelling means stop and get it looked at. This guide covers general good practice for healthy adults starting out; it is not medical advice and does not replace assessment of an actual injury.

Step by step

Increase gradually — around 10% a week.Distance, weight or time. The classic beginner injury is a fortnight of enthusiasm followed by six weeks off, and this is what prevents it.
Learn the movement before adding load.Bodyweight or very light weight until the pattern is comfortable. Poor technique under load is where acute injuries happen.
Warm up properly.Five to ten minutes raising your heart rate and moving the joints you are about to use. Not static stretching, which is better afterwards.
Build rest days in deliberately.Adaptation happens during recovery. Training every day as a beginner is a common and reliable route to injury.
Learn the difference between discomfort and pain.Muscle burn and next-day soreness are normal. Sharp pain, joint pain and anything that persists after you stop are not.
Get shoes that suit the activity.Particularly for running. Worn-out or unsuitable shoes contribute to a large share of lower-limb problems.
Do not train through a niggle.Two or three days off at the first sign is almost always cheaper than the six weeks that ignoring it costs.
Vary what you do.Repeating exactly the same movement daily concentrates all the stress in one place. Mixing activities spreads the load.

Tips

Soreness two days later is normal, especially at the start, and it fades as you adapt. It is not a sign of damage.
If you are returning after a long gap, start at a fraction of what you last did. Fitness returns quickly; connective tissue does not.
Sleep and food are part of injury prevention. Under-slept and under-fuelled is when form breaks down.

Common mistakes

Doing too much in the first fortnight — Enthusiasm outpaces tissue adaptation. This single mistake accounts for most beginner injuries.
Training through joint pain — Muscle soreness settles; joint pain generally means something is wrong and usually worsens if ignored.

Questions people ask

Should I stretch before exercising?

Warm up with movement rather than static stretching. Static stretching is more useful afterwards, when the muscles are warm.

Is it normal to be sore after exercise?

Muscle soreness a day or two later is normal, particularly when starting or trying something new. Sharp pain, joint pain or swelling is not.