Going to the gym? Before you do, take a moment to learn a few important safety tips!
Gym injuries are common and can cause you great pain, permanent disability, or even death. Most injuries are caused by gym equipment, but others are due to the gym-goers themselves. Such an injury may be due to improper technique, for example, or pushing too far.
Whichever it is, it’s important to be aware of the injuries you can get when breaking some sweat in the gym. Read on to find out the 5 most common injuries and how to avoid each one.
1. Lumbar Strain
Our lower back supports our whole body in numerous ways – even in simple activities like standing up. This is why even an improper posture can put unnecessary strain on it, but it can also be due to repetitive movements, twisting motions, and excessive load on the back.
You can prevent back injuries by maintaining a good posture even when you’re not doing exercises. Keep your back straight and stabilized when you’re sitting, standing, or anything else. Use your other muscles when lifting things so as not to put the stress on the back.
2. Hamstring Strain
A hamstring strain is when an excessive tear on the muscle fibers occurs due to overloading. Gym exercises that involve sudden stopping and starting, running, and jumping are the usual causes of this injury. There are many exercises like this, which is why hamstring strain is one of the most common gym injuries.
The number one cause, however, is the lack of warm-ups before intense exercises. Make sure to do some stretching before your gym routine. You should also strengthen your glutes as they work together; if one is weak, it will overload the other.
3. Wrist Strain
The wrist has high mobility, but it also comes with instability, making it one of the common gym injuries. It’s easy to overload the wrists, especially when lifting weights way above your capabilities. Improper form can also put the load on the wrists, leading to stress in the area.
To avoid wrist strain, don’t forget to do some wrist rotation exercises and wrist extensions. You may also opt to target smaller muscles instead of focusing on heavy lifting.
4. Knee Pain
You can put an unwanted load in the knee when your hip muscles are weak and your feet are unstable. It’s the knee that takes all the stress when you’re performing exercises, and so it’s easy to get an injury in the area.
Make sure you’re doing exercises to strengthen the hip and feet, as well. Lunges are especially recommended since the hips and the ankles bend together and stabilize the knee.
5. Foot and Ankle Injuries
As we said above, mobility comes with instability, hence the ankle is prone to getting injuries, too. It becomes vulnerable in any single-leg exercises – not only when running. Still, the risks increase when running, whether on the treadmill or outside.
You’ll need to perform ankle flexibility exercises to prevent sprains, especially when you do a lot of running. Strengthening the muscles in your feet and lower leg areas also help.
What to Do With Gym Injuries
Accidents can happen no matter how careful you are. You could still suffer any of the listed gym injuries even on your best day.
If you need any help with injuries from the gym, don’t deal with it on your own. You need urgent care to prevent long-term complications. If you got into an accident and suffered a gym injury, don’t hesitate to contact us.
