Common Ways to Injure Yourself at the Gym
by Sara Butler
You may know what you should do at the gym to avoid injury, but you don’t always do it. Even fitness professionals slip up from time to time, forgetting to stretch as much as they should and making novice mistakes. These things tend to happen. What you can do is arm yourself with the information you need to avoid injuries at the gym. Here are the most common ways people become injured at the gym and how to avoid them!
Thinking Pain is Normal
Everyone has heard the phrase “no pain, no gain.” Turns out that’s really terrible advice! If you notice pain while working out, don’t just push through it. It may be your body telling you that something isn’t right.
What is normal during a workout is discomfort. Pushing yourself and being a little uncomfortable isn’t a bad thing – just understand the difference between a discomfort and pain so you can take stock and assess if what you’re doing is going to lead to injury or not.
Paying attention to pain early on can help you to avoid serious injuries at the gym that can set back your fitness goals, so pay attention!
Working Out Too Much
Can you get too much of a good thing? Yes, you can. It’s great that you’ve decided to make a commitment to working out, but also understand that your body needs days to rest. Also, don’t fall into the trap of beginning a new fitness routine all gung-ho. If you’ve been a couch potato up until now, you shouldn’t jump right into a 45-minute workout. That is too much; your body needs time to get used to a new fitness routine. You should always ease into a new physical activity. Starting with just 10 to 20 minutes of exercise will get you results. Simply add more time the more conditioned your body becomes.
You Stick to One Routine
If you’re a creature of habit, then you may find something you enjoy doing and decide to stick with it. While finding something you enjoy is wonderful, doing the same thing day in and day out can lead to overuse injuries. The same movements put stress on specific joints and muscles, leading to injury. Vary your workout and add in a little cross training to help save yourself from injury.
The gym is a great place to get healthy, but you have to know what you're doing too!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Round Rock, Tex.