How to Avoid Gym Injuries While Working Out
It’s true what they say – prevention is better than cure. Discover how to keep gym injuries at bay while maximizing your gains.
Learn to Use a Good Form>
Perform Your Warm-Ups>
Start Slow and Steady>
Change Up Your Routine>
Know Your Body’s Limit>
Finish With Cool-Down Exercises>
It’s tempting to push harder and chase a new personal best, but one wrong move can put you out of action for weeks – or worse, months. Gym injuries can sneak up on anyone and are often the result of poor preparation. The good news is, they’re mostly avoidable. Follow these tips to prevent gym injuries and build your muscles safely.
Learn to Use a Good Form
Every exercise, whether it’s slow-flow yoga or a heavy lift, comes with its own set of rules for safe execution. For example, keep your spine straight while deadlifting to protect the lower back. Or, when cycling, set the seat at the right height to reduce unnecessary strain on the knees.
Mastering techniques is the first step to mitigate your risk of getting injured. Take time to practice the movements until you feel confident in your form. If you have the budget, consider working out with a certified personal trainer who can provide real-time feedback and corrections.
Perform Your Warm-Ups
Never start any workout without warming up. Skipping this step can leave your muscles stiff and more likely to strain. Don’t fret – your warm-up doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming. In fact, it can be a pretty solid workout in and of itself.
Commit five to 10 minutes before every workout session to dynamic stretches. Do movements like walking lunges, arm circles, and high knees to get your heart pumping and blood flowing. As you’re moving through your range of motion, more oxygen is delivered to your muscles, helping them contract during the more intense training ahead.
Start Slow and Steady
Doing too much too soon is a fast track to gym injuries. Your muscles, tendons, and joints need time to adapt to new stresses, and rushing the process can leave you in pain.
Allow your body to grow stronger over time. If you’re doing weight training, perfect your movement patterns with lighter loads before attempting max lifts. If you’re running on a treadmill, start with manageable distances and work your way up rather than going full throttle right away. Remember: the goal is to train sustainably and safely, so you can become stronger and faster every day.
Change Up Your Routine
Repeatedly working the same muscle groups can lead to overtraining, muscular imbalances, and joint fatigue. That’s why you should add variety to your workout plan. Reserve your Mondays for exercising your upper body, Wednesdays for your lower body, and Fridays for cardio or mobility work. Rotate between different types of exercises and muscle groups to keep your training effective and engaging.
Additionally, try incorporating different exercises that target the same muscle groups. For instance, swap out barbell bench presses for push-ups, or trade traditional squats with dumbbell step-ups. These small adjustments allow your muscles to work in new ways, promoting a more balanced strength development.
Know Your Body’s Limit
Many people equate soreness with progress, but ignoring persistent aches can lead to more serious issues down the line.
It can be tricky to differentiate between post-workout soreness and an injury. The dull, temporary discomfort that follows strenuous exercise (delayed-onset muscle soreness or DOMS) is a normal part of recovery and goes away after a few days. Meanwhile, the sharp, localized pain from gym injuries can get worse the longer you ignore it.
Whenever you feel discomfort during a workout, stop and take a breath. Observe the sensations in your body. Do your biceps feel tight from the javelin press, or do you feel a stinging pain in your lower back every time you do a squat? If you can’t continue your workout without wincing in pain, stop before your fitness injury worsens.
Finish With Cool-Down Exercises
If warm-ups fire up your muscles, cooldowns bring your body back to its natural state. Think of it as letting yourself recover after a grueling workout. So, the more intense your training, the more time you should dedicate to cooling down.
When you’ve completed your sweat sesh, take a moment to do static stretches such as chest opener and frog pose to help improve flexibility. Make sure to hold each stretch for 30 seconds.
When you’ve finished your workout, chill out and freshen up with Dove Men+Care Anti-Dandruff Shampoo. It’s infused with caffeine and zinc AD to eliminate dandruff and help strengthen your hair.
Pay some attention to your face as well. Wash all the sweat and oil accumulating inside your pores with Master Deep Cleanser Oil Control Max. Its Cooling ZEROil and anti-bacterial agents reduce shine for up to eight hours and help prevent pimples.
Gym injuries are not to be taken lightly. Follow these workout tips and you’ll build strength without putting your body through the wringer. Remember that training smart is just as important as training hard.
Sign up for our newsletter and receive exclusive hair care tips from the experts at All Things Beauty
Subscribe
