January can be a tricky month when it comes to fitness and injury. You’ve had a considerable time away from the office during the holidays, enjoyed time spent with friends and family, and perhaps over-indulged over the festive season. Now you are starting to think about the new year and what your goals might be.

For many, goals might be to complete a park-run for the first time on the first Saturday of the year, start HIIT classes, or even joining (or re-joining) a gym might be high on the agenda in January. What is not high on anyone’s agenda is the potential for injury during the first few weeks of the new year.

There are a few things you can do to help ease your way to an injury-free start to your chosen activity.

Building tolerance for runners

If you have not been running or jogging regularly for a while, your body may take several weeks to adjust to the increased training loads that are placed on your joints.

To minimise risk of injury, start off slow and with short distances; even if this is 1-2km on your first effort, this will help lay the groundwork for a successful start to the year. Combining walking and running in your first few weeks (10 mins run, 10 mins walk) may be beneficial in preventing injury, as is running or jogging at a pace that is comfortable for you.

To reduce the risk of injury when it comes to running, it is generally advised to increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10% (1) and maintain this for 3 weeks before increasing again.

Increasing load for weightlifting

Similarly, beginners to weightlifting should start lifting lighter for a few weeks until form has been achieved, ideally aiming for 8-12 repetitions before approaching muscle fatigue. If you can do up to 15 repetitions without feeling fatigue, the weight is not enough.

Over the coming weeks, dropping your repetitions to 8-10 and adding heavier weight should be considered. If technique is an issue, do not load up very heavy until your technique has been addressed (2).

Set realistic goals and targets

Even if you have been a regular runner or weightlifter prior to the holidays, don’t expect your goals to be exactly the same as the last time you picked up a weight.

There’s an increased risk of injury if you expect to lift very heavy or run for too long if you have been out of training for the past month. Set realistic goals, weights or distances to improve your chances of staying injury free.

Remember, the best way to stay motivated is to remain injury free, while still meeting goals and feeling the effects of training.