You can boost your heart, muscles, endurance and metabolism, and enjoy a sense of well-being, with regular resistance training,  fitness expert Len Kravitz says.

To make sure an injury doesn't derail your fitness plans, Kravitz, an exercise scientist at the University of New Mexico, offers these tips:

DO: Stretch immediately following an aerobic activity while muscles are still warm and pliable, which will increase flexibility and prevent injury.

DON'T: Lift more than your muscles can handle. Gradual, progressive weight resistance is much more safe and effective.

DO: Warm up prior to lifting weights. Your muscles need time to adjust to the exercise.

DON'T: Exercise too intensely. Injuries occur when people do too much, too hard.

DO: Cool down. Take a few minutes to lower your heart rate after exercise, even resistance training. Walk in place or stretch.

DON'T: Jerk the weights when lifting. If you have to jerk the weight to lift it, strains and sprains can result.

DO: Alter your training. Switch back and forth between long, single sets and short, multiple sets of resistance training to best stimulate the muscles.

Injuries and discouragement 

According to the federal government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 57,000 people a year are treated at hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to weightlifting, about the same as those injured riding horses or all-terrain vehicles and far below the injuries linked to sports, skiing and trampolines.

That number of lifting-related injuries, of course, doesn't include the untold thousands who suffer strains, sprains or other maladies and don't get medical treatment.

But fitness experts like Kravitz warn that an injury could set you back in your fitness plans - and may discourage you from going back to the gym.

Kravitz presented the tips this week at the American College of Sports Medicine's 11th annual Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition in Dallas.

For more information

•  Tips on Choosing the Gym Right for You

•  Seven Pet Peeves of Gym Etiquette

•  Test Your Knowledge of Strength Training

•  Everyday Fitness: How Functional is Your Workout?

Source: American College of Sports Medicine

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