Workout Injuries are quite common, and if you are an athlete, you’ve likely experienced them once in your lifetime. It doesn’t matter if you work out at your home or gym because workout injuries usually happen when the exercises are not done correctly. Sometimes a freak accident or some gym mistakes during a workout may cause your fitness goals to take an abrupt break.
Therefore, we bring you the ultimate guide to workout injuries. We hope that this article helps you to prevent these injuries and learn more about the treatment and causes of workout injuries.
Most Common Causes for Gym Injuries
There are days when you train really hard but still get disheartened with the results. Here’s the thing – you require a laser-sharp focus to isolate the primary or target muscle being worked on while performing an exercise for it to be effective.
For example, when doing bench press, you need to bring your mind towards isolating the target muscle, i.e., pectoralis major. Your triceps and deltoids are the secondary or supporting muscle groups here. By developing adequate MMC, you will be recruiting 80% of your target muscle to lift the load while the supporting muscles are only 20% involved. Thus, your chest ends up doing more work which is the whole purpose of the exercise!
Overtraining
Overtraining refers to the term in which a person keeps on training continuously even after ignoring the signs of overreaching. Athletes usually do this when they feel like they aren’t performing well and their body needs exercise; however, doing this just results in their body breaking down more. This often results in injuries due to changes in the form or technique because of high training volumes, fatigue, and intensity.
Incorrect Form
As the title suggests, injuries can also happen when workouts are not done in their proper form. Therefore, it is important to take guidance from a trainer and ensure that you are doing your exercises correctly.
Accident
An accident is another common problem that usually leads to an injury, and it’s impossible for you to predict them. Many accidents typically happen due to poorly maintained gym equipment or wearing clothes and shoes that aren’t suitable for your workouts.
Most Common Gym Injuries
- Shin Splints & Its Prevention
Shin Splints are commonly seen between runners, basketball and football players, and other athletes who indulge in running and jumping. Many people like to call it tibial pain, and it occurs when the muscles in your lower legs are given too much pressure, which leads to pain in your shinbone. You can prevent Shin Splints by following these tips:
- Before starting up an intense workout session, make sure you warm up for at least 10 mins, so the job of pumping blood to your lower leg muscles gets easier.
- Start wearing compression socks when you want to ease your pain in less time and prevent further trouble. The benefits of copper compression socks can easily help you with boosting your blood circulation, reducing swelling, and supporting your veins. Many people turn to wear copper compression socks for shin splints to take the added advantage of copper’s anti-bacterial properties.
- Wear good quality shoes that make you feel comfortable, and avoid wearing tight shoes that don’t give your legs enough air and space.
- Gradually increase the intensity and frequency of your workouts.
- Knee Injury & its Prevention
- Start doing exercises that help you improve your hips and quadriceps strength.
- When you are lifting weight, make sure that you keep your feet aligned to avoid injuries to your knees.
- Foot and Ankle issues & their Prevention
Foot and ankle issues are quite common and usually happen due to Plantar Fasciitis which temporarily causes intense pain in the bottom of your foot near your heel. To prevent these issues, you must switch to appropriate footwear that makes your foot feel comfortable. For example. Switch to comfortable running shoes or tennis shoes that give your foot enough air to breathe instead of choosing too high shoes from their heel section.
- Lower back Trouble & its Prevention
Lower back pain usually happens when the muscles which are surrounding your spine are strained due to excessive workouts or pressure that’s applied to them. This may be a sign that you’ve pushed your body beyond its limit, and when you feel something like this, it is recommended that you stop immediately. To prevent lower back trouble, make sure you follow these tips:
- Whenever you lift weights or do any exercises, make sure you maintain a neutral spine.
- Strengthen your upper back and perform exercises that help you to keep your core muscles strong.
- Don’t rush to the advanced exercises and try to progress your exercises systematically.
Shoulder Injury & its Prevention
Shoulder injuries can include dislocation, fracture, separation, cartilage tear, and a lot more stuff. To prevent these shoulder injuries, you must keep these tips in mind:
- Maintain a good posture while sleeping that can help you to relieve shoulder pain.
- Make sure your practice shoulder strengthening exercises and make it a part of your daily routine.
- Try to avoid repetitive activities that put stress on your shoulder.
Treating Workout Injuries
Even after following all the essential tips and taking complete care of your body, injuries can still happen and cause you discomfort. Usually, most of the workout injuries heal within four weeks; however, when you don’t want your problems to increase, make sure you follow these tips:
- Try to relax and give up your workout routine for a few days so that you can rest the injury.
- Make use of Ice when you want to lessen your swelling and bleeding.
- Ask your doctor and see if he can help you with medications like Ibuprofen that can help you to ease the pain.
- Use a compression bandage to minimize your swelling
When to Call the Doctor
If self-care doesn’t help you heal your injuries enough, you might need a doctor. You should call the doctor when:
- You think you have a broken bone that needs healing.
- You start feeling chest pain after your workout sessions.
- You get a severe injury that leads to excessive pain and bleeding.
- Your joint feels like it’s out of its original position.
Rory Donnelly
Author Bio
Rory, is the R&D Director and passionate entrepreneur, fascinated by the workings of the human body and natural solutions for common health problems. He’s single-minded in his aim to make Copper Defence a brand that’s recognized across the globe, by partnering with global brands to make these high-tech materials easily accessible for everyone. Visit copperclothing.com for copper-infused clothing and more.
