Finding and maintaining the motivation to make exercise a daily routine is difficult enough, but adding injury into the mix makes weekly workouts a challenge.

Once a fitness routine is developed and repeatedly carried out, injury is usually soon to follow. Fortunately, preventing injuries can be simple with a few exercise adjustments.

GET ON THE GREEN

One way to stay injury free is running on grass instead of sidewalks or streets. The cushioning of grass makes your legs much less susceptible to shin splints, one of the leading injuries for runners.

For places to run without being at risk of injury try running on the grass by the sidewalks in Oakwood or Hills and Dales MetroPark.

CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE

Doing the same exercise day in and day out may be easy once you get used to it, but it also is one of the number one ways to get injured.

That's why the best way to injury-proof yourself is to switch up your daily exercises. Try something new to give certain muscles a rest, and you'll be able to keep your body healthy for longer.

STRETCH IT OUT

Students rarely have time to get in a full workout, let alone stretch before and after. But stretching is something that shouldn't be taken lightly, as it is helpful in preventing muscle strains or injuries.

Intertwine stretching with cardio by doing a warmup of whatever your choice followed by 10 minutes of stretching before exercising.