4 steps to treat common exercise injuries, from Harvard Men's Health Watch

Exercise is better for health than any pill or potion. One long-term benefit is a lower risk of disability later in life. Yet exercise has a small downside: people who exercise sometime injure themselves, reports the February 2010 issue of Harvard Men's Health Watch.

Injuries are much more common with intense exercise and competitive sports than with the moderate types of exercise usually done for health. Many exercise-related injuries are preventable, most are mild, and the majority will respond to treatment at home.