How To Avoid Workout Injuries While Exercising?

Many people who hit the gym regularly or have worked out for long agree that workout injuries are common but can be prevented with proper caution. It’s no secret that working out is good for our health and we must include it in our daily routine. However, with just any form of physical workout, there is a chance of getting injured or hurt.

Exercise-related injuries usually include back pain, strains, and sprains. Having a personal trainer by your side helps you know the correct form and posture to perform exercises, helping you avoid common exercise injuries.

More often than not, these injuries occur when you push your limits a bit too much too soon or perform an exercise incorrectly. However, many other factors come into play regarding exercise injuries, so let’s dig deeper!

Common Reasons behind Exercise Injuries

There are many ways you can get injured while exercising, but some of the most common reasons are –

• Commencing intense workout session before warming up properly.
• Repeating the same exercise or motion too much for too long.
• Performing an exercise in an incorrect form.
• Not taking enough breaks between workouts to give your body sufficient rest it needs.
• Pushing your body too much-too fast, beyond what it’s capable of.
• Doing an extra strenuous exercise for your body type and fitness level.
• Using the wrong equipment or using the right equipment incorrectly.
• Not staying hydrated enough.
• Not knowing when to stop.
  

Warming Up & Cooling Down Is Important

Warming up your body before a workout prepares your body and eases up the muscles for more strenuous and intensive exercises ahead. It is one of the best ways to avoid exercise-related injuries.

The best way to warm up your body is by taking it slow and exercising in a slow-paced manner for the first few minutes. For example, it is always suggested to walk briskly for a few minutes before you start running. It helps loosen up your muscles and readies your body before it can pick up the pace.

 
Similarly, it is essential to take a breather and let your body cool down after exercising for a few minutes. Cooling down is as important as warming up as it allows your body temperature and heart rate to come back to normal after an intense workout session.

Cooling down can be done by taking a break or exercising at a much slower pace for a few minutes before ending the session.

Stretching – Yes or No?

Every gym or personal trainer out there would recommend you perform stretching exercises before starting your workout session. It is suggested that a person should stretch at least 2-3 times weekly to stay flexible and improve mobility.

Even though it is yet not clear if stretching can help avoid workout-related injuries, there’s no harm in doing it as it does help loosen up stiff muscles.
The stretching exercises can be done after you’ve warmed up or at the beginning of your exercise session.

Few important things to keep in mind about stretching –

Don’t stretch cold or already-injured muscles.
Don’t hold stretches for more than 15-30 seconds.
Do not bounce when stretching, as it may prove to be counterproductive.

Pick The Right Exercise – Be Wise and Realistic

First things first, before you start exercising, it is wise to consult your local fitness trainer or healthcare provider if you can exercise, especially if you have any pre-existing health condition or illness. If yes, ask about the kind of exercise you can and cannot do.

For beginners, it is always wise to opt for low-intensity exercise options like –

• Walking
• Golf
• Swimming
• Riding a Stationary Bike
• Jogging at a slow pace
  

These exercises are not likely to cause any injuries and prepare your body for more intense exercises in the days to come. Engaging in aerobics, running, and other high-intensity exercises, especially if you’re new to working out, can cause exercise-related injuries.

Also, contact sports such as basketball, volleyball, ice hockey, soccer, etc., would probably cause injuries if you’re new to a fitness lifestyle and have otherwise led a sedentary life.

Always Use The Right Equipment

One of the key aspects of avoiding exercise injuries is using the right equipment. The chances and risk of exercise injuries reduce drastically by using the right equipment. What’s safety equipment for you may differ depending upon the type of exercise you’re performing, your body type, height, weight, and exercise intensity.

However, some common safety equipment for the sport of your choice may include –

• Proper Footwear – Sports Shoes, Gym Shoes
• Helmets
• Goggles
• Kneepads
• Shin Guards
• Mouth Guards
• Workout Clothes – Gym Wear/Sports Wear
• Gym Belt – To Support Stomach/Abdomen

Using the right equipment for the right sport or exercise is important to avoid exercise or sports injuries. You don’t want to play tennis wearing running shoes or use a bike helmet instead of a ski helmet when skiing downhill.

Also, it is important that your exercise equipment –

• It is your size and fits you well.
• It is in good condition to provide optimal support and protection.
• Is worn properly
• Is designed correctly for the sport/exercise of your choice.
  

Learn Good Form

Take lessons to learn the basics of an exercise or the sport initially. Doing an exercise or playing the sport the right way greatly reduces the risks of injuries.

You can hire a personal trainer to help you with that or can choose to join a gym, outdoor organisation or take lessons in your local community. It helps tremendously in achieving your fitness goals and avoiding injuries that pull you back.

Cross Train

One of the ways to avoid exercise injuries is to practice various exercises that work on your target muscles.

For example, if you run 3-4 days a week, run for two days and cycle the other two. It would work on more muscle groups while helping you achieve your workout goals simultaneously.

Listen To Your Body

It is important to listen to your body when it comes to any kind of physical activity. Having sore muscles after a rigorous workout session is normal, but stop if it becomes painful or you feel pain while working out.

You will have to cross a few boundaries and endure pain on the way for sure, but it should be done slowly and gradually.

Final Thoughts - With good planning, you can prevent injury and stay safe during exercise

The point is not to overdo it as it may lead to exercise injuries and other health issues that can derail you from your fitness journey. Focusing on recovery is as important as working out hard.

Call a doctor if there’s chest pain while working out or if the pain in the muscles doesn’t go away even after taking proper rest. Don’t ignore any pain or health problem that generally refuses to go away as there might be underlying issues that need medical supervision.

With that said, exercise-related injuries are common, and they do occur at times, even if you take all the necessary precautions.

Listening to your body and staying ambitious and determined yet realistic in your hunger to achieve your workout goals ensures you achieve your goals without crossing over to the danger zone.

Hi, I'm Gary Wagner (Coach Gaz).

I help business leaders get out of pain so they can dominate their profession & get all that they want out of life. I guide professionals passionate about achieving new levels of performance. I enable them to forge an effective and resilient physical form that feels unstoppable, enabling and empowering their personal and professional success in Melbourne.

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