Prioritise Your Safety: 4 Pillars To Prevent Common Workout Injuries
I start warming up before training an hour before at the hotel. That's not because I feel old and my body needs it. It's because it's prehab. It's preventing those injuries.
Alexandra Morgan Carrasco
Achieving a lean, strong physique demands consistency, but sustaining your progress is impossible without preventing workout injuries that often sideline dedicated athletes. This guide provides essential insights into safe training techniques designed to protect your joints and muscles during intense sessions.
By mastering proper form, incorporating dynamic warm-up routines, and respecting your body's recovery needs, gym goers can avoid common setbacks. Implementing these strategies ensures longevity in your fitness journey while maximising the effectiveness of every lift and movement pattern.
If you are trying to lose some weight, you may start to work out a few times a week or even every day. This can put a lot of stress on your body, and if you are not careful, you could injure yourself severely. You can learn more about common workout injuries and prevent this from happening, though, by taking these steps.
Why does this happen? Well, sometimes it's a matter of doing the right activity too much or too often. Sometimes it's doing the right activity wrong. And sometimes it's about choosing the wrong activity for your particular body type or physical condition.
Pillar #1. Warm Up Correctly
The first and important thing to do in order to avoid workout injuries is to warm up correctly. Start by stretching all of your muscles and then go through some breathing exercises.
You might even consider going for a jog just to get your heart rate up. A proper warm-up can increase blood flow to your muscles, decreasing your chances of pulling or injuring something.
How To Warm Up:
- Go for a light jog to get your heart rate up.
- Stretch all your muscles.
- Do some breathing exercises.
Once your muscles are warm and ready, you're all set for a great workout. Now, let's focus on the star of the show: performing each exercise with perfect technique.
Pro tip: The most important thing you can do to avoid workout injuries is to warm up correctly.
TIP: The first and important thing to do in order to avoid workout injuries is to warm up correctly.
Pillar #2. Do The Proper Technique
One of the most common reasons for the workout injuries is because you are not using the right technique when doing exercise. This may cause you to pull a muscle, or even worse, fracture one of your bones.
So if you don't know how to do an exercise, it's best to ask someone who works at the gym, such as a personal trainer or an experienced athlete. They can show you the correct form and actually demonstrate what the exercise should look like. This is particularly helpful for squats and back exercises, as these are the muscles that tend to get injured the most.
Pro tip: Do not copy blindly other guys around exercise technique in the gym. Or actually, lack of it. You would be surprised how many gym-goers have no idea what they are doing...
Pillar #3. Don’t Try To Lift Too Much, Too Soon
In the gym, it's easy to let your ego get the better of you. However, smart training isn't about lifting the heaviest weight possible today; it's about building the strength to lift heavier weights in the future without getting injured. When working out, it’s important not to overload the machine or barbell.
If you are not careful or strong enough, this could cause severe pain. Instead, start with a lightweight to get a feel for how the exercise machine operates. After several weeks, gradually increase the weight each time. Always lift and lower weights under strict control; never swing, heave or jerk them around.
Your 3-Step Plan For Safe Lifting:
- Start light: Begin with a light weight to familiarise yourself with how the exercise or machine operates, and to perfect your form.
- Progress gradually: After several weeks, when you are confident with the movement, gradually add more weight each time you work out.
- Maintain control: Ensure that weights are lifted and lowered under strict control. They should not be sloppily swung, heaved or jerked around.
Lifting smartly isn't just about the weights; it's also about resting properly. It's important to push hard, but true progress happens when you give your body the time it needs to recover and grow stronger.
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BETSY MorrisON
It's not about dieting or pushing to extremes; it's about sustainable health and loving your body.
Pillar #4. Avoid Overtraining
Don't put yourself at risk for injury - avoid overtraining. It occurs when a person exceeds their body's ability to recover from strenuous routines. In a word, too much and too often...
There are some very obvious signs of overtraining: sleeplessness, soreness or pain in muscles and/or joints, headaches, elevated morning pulse, fatigue and sudden inability to complete workouts, feeling unmotivated and lacking in energy, decrease in performance, loss of appetite, loss of interest in training sessions, etc.
TIP: Don't put yourself at risk for injury - avoid overtraining. It occurs when a person exceeds their body's ability to recover from strenuous routines.
If you notice that your training is suffering and you've lost interest and energy, it's a good time to take a break from your routine. This could mean a few days to a week of complete rest or doing something low-key and less demanding, such as yoga or stretching, walking, cycling...
The trick is to listen to your mind and your body and allow them to take a break if they need it. You'll come back to exercise refreshed and energised.
The Bottom Line
No matter what your fitness goals are, getting injured probably isn't one of them. If you are not careful, getting injured during a workout is a possibility. That's why it's important to take steps to prevent injuries while working out, as this will reduce your risk of getting hurt in the gym, at home, or outdoors.
Think of these four pillars — proper warm-ups, correct technique, appropriate weight and smart recovery — as your personal safety system. Master them, and you won't just be exercising; you'll be building a resilient body that is ready for long-term success.
Not only will you reduce your risk of injury, but you will also build a healthier relationship with exercise and your body. Remember, fitness is a marathon, not a sprint.
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Glossary Of Key Terms
• Common workout injuries: A category of physical harm resulting from exercise, which includes muscle strains, ankle sprains, knee injuries, and shoulder injuries.
• Overtraining: A condition that occurs when a person exceeds their body's ability to recover from strenuous exercise routines, characterised by fatigue, decreased performance, and loss of interest.
• Prehab: A preventative approach to exercise, such as extensive warming up, designed to prevent injuries before they can occur.
• Proper Technique: The correct form and execution of an exercise. Using proper technique is essential for targeting the desired muscles and avoiding strain, overuse injuries, and overloading other parts of the body.
• Sprains and strains: Types of injuries with varying healing times. Uncomplicated sprained ankles can heal in as few as five days, while an acute neck strain can take from two to six weeks to fully heal.
• Static Stretching: A type of stretching that, when performed on a cold muscle before a workout, can lead to a significant loss of muscle strength and potentially cause a serious injury.
FAQ
Static stretching before a workout can lead to a considerable loss of muscle strength and it can even cause a serious injury, since the muscle is still cold and not yet ready to be lengthened to its limits. Training your muscles under resistance contracts and shortens them.
Here's what you shouldn't do:
- Avoid having your knees go off in different directions.
- Never hold your breath.Do not lose good posture.
- Don't try to work through pain.
- Avoid using momentum or otherwise cheating.
- Don't stop short.Never stop suddenly on the treadmill.
- Don't go without a spotter when you need one.
These exercises cause more injuries than any other:
- Overhead squats.
- Seated leg extensions.
- Lat pull-downs.
- Romanian deadlifts.
- Kettlebell swings.
- Bicycle crunches.
- Pull-ups.
- Bent over rows.
Sprains and strains:
- Sprained ankles can often heal in five days if uncomplicated.
- Acute neck strain, such as whiplash caused by a tackle, can any take anywhere from a couple of weeks to six weeks to fully heal.
Common sports injuries include muscle strains, ankle sprains, knee injuries and shoulder injuries. Prevention strategies include proper warm-up and cool-down routines, using correct form and technique, gradually increasing the intensity of exercise, and using appropriate exercise equipment. It's also important to listen to your body and avoid overtraining.
Using the correct technique is essential to effectively target the desired muscle groups and avoid overloading other parts of the body. Incorrect form can lead to strain and overuse injuries. If you are unsure of the correct technique, it is advisable to seek the advice of a qualified trainer.
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