Tips to Prevent Injuries During Workouts

Submitted by RonnyT on Thu, 2021-05-20 08:13

“No pain, no gain” can be a dangerous phrase for the average gym-goer. When someone hears this, they likely become more willing to engage in risky gym behavior or push themselves into dangerous territory of getting an injury. You hear it all the time, someone goes to the gym for the first time, jumps right into an advanced class or difficult workout, then they are down and out with an injury for sometimes weeks.

Common exercise-related injuries:

• Sprain: an injury to a ligament caused by stretching or tearing of the fibers of the ligament

• Muscle strain: an overstretched or torn muscle (commonly called a pulled muscle)

• Tendonitis: inflamed tendon resulting from a tendon injury

• ACL/meniscus tears of the knee: a rip in one of the ligaments which helps stabilize the knee or cartilage which cushions the knee joint

• Torn rotator cuff: rips in the group of muscles and their tendons which hold the arm in the shoulder socket

Before you start an exercise program, you should follow some precautions to avoid getting laid up for days or weeks with an injury. If you are a beginner or have not exercised in a while, you should meet with your primary care doctor so they can determine if you are healthy enough to exercise. Hiring a coach or a personal trainer can be beneficial for almost everyone – in fact, most personal trainers and fitness professionals have hired a coach at least once in their life! Choose your workouts carefully, being mindful of the current state of your fitness, your limitations, and keep in mind any modifications you may need to make.

It is very important to learn the proper technique of specific exercises, as majority of injuries in new gym-goers are caused by improper form. Finding videos on how to properly perform an exercise is easy and can be free. As you start your exercise program, you want to start slowly and increase gradually. If you go too hard during your first times exercising, not only are you at risk of one of the common exercise-related injuries listed above, but you are more likely to experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). While DOMS are normal, especially when you are new to exercise, changing your program, or changing your intensity, sometimes they can have you sore for 72 hours or longer! Start slow, with a light-moderate weight or intensity, and once that has been established to no longer be challenging to you, then is a good time to increase the weight, or length, or intensity of your workouts.

Once you are actually in the gym, here are some “Dos and Don’ts” to serve as a reminder on how to avoid an injury:

DO:

• Warm up before exercise

• Use spotters on major lifts

• Keep your back straight and your core engaged

• Use proper form and technique

• Dress appropriately

• Make sure the equipment you’re using is safe and well-maintained

• Follow your gym’s safety protocols

• Stay hydrated

• Eat a well-balanced diet

• Listen to your body

DON’T:

• Stretch a cold muscle

• Hyperventilate or hold your breath

• “Push through the pain”. Take a break from the painful exercise, especially if the pain feels different than a typical lift

• Lift weights if you feel light headed

• Train one set of muscle group more than three times a week

• Lift heavy without a spotter

• Lift barbells without using the safety clips on the bar

Even if you do everything you can to minimize your risk of an injury, sometimes it still happens. Depending on the severity of the pain or length of the pain, it may be a good idea to see a doctor. If it is not an emergency, here is what you can do at home to get some relief. First, ice it. You can use an ice pack, bag of veggies, or even take an ice bath. Ice is a natural anti-inflammatory and can reduce tissue damage. Repeat icing your injury several times a day for as long as you experience pain or swelling. Additionally, to further decrease swelling, wrap the injured area snugly (but not too tight) with an elastic bandage. Rest! Avoid using the injured area until it is healed. You can use an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), like ibuprofen, to reduce pain and swelling. Do not use NSAIDS if your doctor has advised you not to. In that case, acetaminophen can help relieve some pain. Bottom line if you get injured: ice it, wrap it, rest it, and relieve it.