Editor’s Note: Irene Lewis McCormick is a graduate student in health and human performance. If you would like to ask a fitness-related question, please send an e-mail request to: [email protected].

Within the past several years, dozens of research studies have confirmed the benefits of regular physical activity. Adding to the push for an active lifestyle, a recent study published by the American College of Sports Medicine this month indicated that reports of injury are not frequent for active persons.

Respondents in the study were asked about injuries resulting from “moderately intense” activities such as: walking for exercise, gardening for yard work, weightlifting, outdoor bicycling and aerobic dance.

Among the participating population, the number of respondents reporting injuries during a 30-day span of activity was low. For aerobic dance activities, 1.4 percent reported injuries, and 1.6 percent reported injury from gardening and yard work.

Outdoor bicycle riding participants claimed a 0.9 percent injury rate, weightlifting accounted for 2.4 percent of injuries and 1.4 percent of walkers reported an injury, according to the American College of Sports Medicine study.

Despite the low injury rates, gender differences and age-specific injury rates could be calculated for walking and gardening.

Men and women had similar injury rates. Older adults accounted for lower injury rates; younger respondents reported an injury rate that was twice as high as that for older adults.

Persons 45 years or older were significantly less likely to be injured than their younger counterparts while walking or gardening, according to the study.

Many of the reported injuries were minor. Those who reported injuries for walking, gardening, or bicycling reported no incidence of medical care, change in activity or time off from work.

For those injured during weightlifting and aerobics, nearly every respondent reported reducing the level of their participation. Almost 30 percent sought medical care or took time off from work or school.

This is good news for the general public.

Activities that are considered “moderately intense” and can contribute to health-related benefits are actually low in their incidence of injury.

However, if you have recently experienced an injury, take this advice from exercise physiologist Keith Fields, a member of the Reebok Development Team:

1) Ask permission from your doctor BEFORE returning to your exercise program.

2) Listen to your body. Be certain that you do not experience any pain, swelling or discoloration. Be certain you have regained full range of motion at the area where the injury had occurred.

3) Consider seeking out a certified personal trainer who can assist you in creating a safe and effective exercise program.

4) Perfect your posture by standing upright and erect, shoulders back but relaxed, chest forward, knees slightly bent — before starting a workout.

5) Ease into a regular workout routine by performing a proper and thorough warm-up.

An ideal warm-up is a 5- to 10-minute stretching session to increase the body’s core temperature, which promotes blood flow to the muscles and joints. Muscles become more elastic, movement becomes less restricted and the risk of injury is immediately decreased.

6) Ask your personal trainer or fitness instructor to show you how to perform the exercises you would like to do correctly, using proper technique.

7) Once you’ve completed your workout, do a cool-down. Get your heart rate back to its resting level and stretch your muscles using slow, controlled stretches held for 30 seconds.

It’s even better if you can perform the stretches three times for each muscle group.

8) Take a moment to make sure no pain, swelling or other symptom of your injury is returning. If it is, ask your doctor or physical therapist for advice.