Doctor's advice to avoid exercise-related injuries in 2015

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- If your New Year's resolution is to exercise more, you are not alone. But doctors say many people end up in their offices by the end of January for exercise-related injuries.

Many of them can be prevented with just a few helpful tips.

"Correct form and correct technique is paramount in starting any good workout program," said Dr. Joshua Harris, and an orthopedic surgeon at Houston Methodist.

Harris says every year he sees people whose fitness resolutions backfire.

"Going to extremes is probably the biggest problem we see in the office. Either that's too fast, too much, or for too long," Harris said.

By the end of the month, he starts seeing over-use injuries that could have easily been avoided.

The first key is to include variety in your workout.

"Switching from jogging to an elliptical machine, to swimming, many different types of workout can still provide the cardio benefit, the strength and flexibility benefit, without the stress of doing the same thing over and over again," Harris said.

Make sure you are performing all of the moves correctly. If you can't afford a professional trainer, there are a few affordable options out there.

"Online sites are mostly reliable, maybe videos where you can watch someone," Harris said.

Stretching is key, but make sure you're doing it right.

"I usually recommend that patients don't stretch beforehand," Harris said.

Wait until after you work out so that your muscles are warm and less likely to tear. He recommends only working out three or four times each week.

"Your body needs time to regenerate the muscle that is broken down during that workout," said Harris. "If you're getting pain while doing a workout that forces you to stop your workout or prevents you from getting back to it one or two days later, you're doing too much."