5 Common Injuries To Avoid At The Gym
By All American Fitness
The more you work out and improve your strength and endurance, the more you can push yourself to lift heavier and train harder. Unfortunately, it’s easy to set yourself up for a workout-related injury if you’re not careful. These are five common exercise injuries, most of which can be avoided with enough care and preparation:
MUSCLE PULLS & STRAINS
It’s probably happened to everyone at some point, but muscle pulls don’t have to be an inevitability. Though they generally aren’t serious, muscle pulls and strains can be very painful and really throw you off of your game. Warming-up can help reduce their likelihood, though stretches alone are unlikely to help.
SLIPS AND FALLS
Any physical activity can lead to a slip and a fall — sometimes with a broken bone as a consequence. Always wear appropriate shoes, use equipment correctly, and exercise caution around pools, saunas, and other areas with wet floors. After using a piece of equipment, wipe it down to keep it safe for the next user.
TENDON INJURIES
It’s easy to overwork a single muscle group, and that can lead to repetitive motion injuries like tendonitis. Like muscle pulls, tendonitis usually isn’t serious, but it can be very limiting. To prevent it, cross-train. Changing up your workouts can allow one group of muscles or tendons to recover before they get overworked.
JOINT ISSUES
Joints take a lot of punishment, and they’re easy to aggravate. Many people have existing joint problems, like arthritis, that can flare up after exercise. To prevent joint pain, always ease into a new exercise regimen. Don’t do exercises that cause pain — “No pain, no gain” is a myth. Lastly, take good care of sore or swollen joints post-workout with rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
KNEE AND FOOT PROBLEMS
There are few exercises that don’t involve the legs, even if it’s just by standing. Minor foot problems can become knee injuries as leg joints compensate, leading to trouble down the road. Always wear the right athletic shoes, and make sure to replace them every couple of months. If you have existing foot issues, get prescription orthotics tailored to you. Also, avoid doing a lot of sprinting, and gradually increase the intensity of your workouts.
Just because workout injuries are common, doesn’t mean they have to be. With the right technique, good footwear, and a good warm-up, you can avoid unnecessary post-workout suffering.
References:
https://familydoctor.org/common-sports-injuries
https://www.daveabels.com/wet-and-slippery-floors.html
https://nf.aafp.org/shop/journals/american-family-physician-online-only
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/6-ways-avoid-workout-injuries