We go to the gym to improve our health, maintain our fitness and build up our bodies, but so many people end up doing the complete opposite. Gym injuries are an all too common problem that thousands of people experience, and the sad thing is, a lot of the time, these injuries are squarely self-inflicted.
There are many mistakes well-intentioned gym members make that can do a lot of harm to their bodies, and they are pretty avoidable if you know what you’re doing. Today, we’re going to cover what leads to gym injuries and, most importantly, how to avoid them so that you get the benefits of your workouts without all the downsides.
Table of Contents
Ways to Avoid Gym Injuries
Get a Trainer
A personal trainer doesn’t just bark orders and take you to a task to reach your fitness goals, and they also make sure that every exercise you do is performed safely. They have a lot of knowledge of how to lift correctly and how to use the machinery carefully. According to The Barnes Firm injury attorneys, “one of the best ways to avoid getting injured in the gym is to work with a professional who truly understands how the body works. Going alone can have a negative effect and lead to bigger health problems. Working with an experienced person will make a huge impact.”
Master Form
Another thing that gets people into gym injuries is performing an incorrect form. The form is critical to success in the gym – and whether you’re doing deadlifts, squats, or bench presses, it’s what allows you to get the full muscle engagement that helps your body transform. The form also protects you from injury. If you’re lifting a heavyweight and doing it in the incorrect format, you are highly likely to pull, strain, or even break something, so before you attempt a workout, make sure you know exactly how to do it.
You can watch YouTube videos that show you exactly how to perform an exercise step-by-step, and this will protect you. For example, if you’re using the leg press machine, keeping your knees slightly bent ensures that your leg doesn’t buckle under the weight and leads to a catastrophic break. Those small preventive measures are crucial to ensuring a workout doesn’t turn into a considerable injury.
Don’t Lift too Heavy.
Many people in the gym tie their ego to how heavy they can lift, but this can do more harm than good. While the weights you lift in the gym should be challenging, they should still allow you to maintain form and avoid injuries. A heavyweight can also lead to you straining yourself unnecessarily, and many people who lift heavy don’t also think about how to put down the weight. Dropping the weights recklessly can harm you or other people.
If you aim to lift bigger weights, it’s better, to begin with, lighter ones and then gradually work your way up to something heavier. It’s a safer way to get accustomed to that load. If you’re going to lift heavy, you can also get a spotter who can help you with the weight and make sure that it will not lead to injury. Performing without a spotter is a certain way to get severely injured, to avoid this, all you need is a buddy who can make sure you lift the weight as intended.
Use Machines As Intended
Some people use gym equipment in a quite off-spec way to diversify their training or challenge themselves in different ways. The problem is, this can lead to you getting severely hurt. Machines are designed for specific purposes and exercises, and to ensure safety, they can’t be used any differently. Adding things onto a device or removing key structural features can lead to regret.
Joining the gym is a noble act in pursuing a better body, but it’s essential to make sure you leave with that desired body, not painful after-effects like joint and muscle damage. It’s all in your control, if you know what you’re doing, you will get all the benefits without the downsides. Remember, there’s no need to lift heavy or do complicated movements for an ego boost. It’s more important to preserve your health and your body in the long run than it is to look fabulous at the moment. You’re working hard to make your body better, so there’s no need to break it down. If you treat your body well, it will treat you well too, which also means preventive measures and protective actions.
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